Manufacturing an Icon
media strategy, installation, still life photography; 2019
studio Kristek-Sedlák, FA VUT, Brno
cooperation with Markéta Malínková
//In the mid-15th century, before the expansion of book printing, Alberti published his De aedificatoria only as a text, because he did not trust the copists‘ abilities to respect the authenticity of his drawings. Palladio on the other hand published the first „pictorial book“ about
architecture in a large quantity thanks to letterpress and became the most copied architect in the history. Significant is that he did not publish his projects „as they were built“, but „as they should be built“. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe published his first sketch of a glass skyscraper at the same time as he has been producing archetypal houses with a saddle roof for his clients. So, image publishing preceded architecture. Ricola Building Photo by Iwan Baan who helped make Herzog & De Meuron famous is a composite of several photos and a picture that visitor of the building can never experience. Despite the fact that since the Palladio´s time the ability of traveling in a globalized world with relatively unlimited economics has turn to maximum, publishing of images has also multiplied and we still consume 95% of the architecture through image media.//
Turning towards the architect himself, towards his profession, its stereotypes and social status, we analysed specific architectural studios. Based on the research we create sample strategy for the young architectural and design studio. Studio Brandy with no start-up capital became famous for publishing the design of the furniture equipment for their own office. By means of photography and media manipulation Brandy creates an Icon using the generic forms and style of the already existing office furniture created by the Czech company „Hobis“.