LongHouse Reserve’s Larsen
Salon Series honors its founder,
Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020), and carries on his
tradition of conversations with designers, architects, and
artists working at the intersection of art, architecture,
design, and craft. LongHouse Director, Dr. Carrie Rebora
Barratt explained, “We offer these talks in Manhattan
and East Hampton, at various spaces; important dialogues of
meaning for our complex world.”
Recently they convened at the Park Avenue offices of Robert
A.M. Stern Architects with architect Michael Arad in
conversation with critic Paul Goldberger, exploring
Arad’s latest project, the memorial for the 2015 shooting at
the Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina. Said Dr.
Barratt, “Memorials are to honor those who have passed but,
like LongHouse, they are for the living to experience”. The
evening was made possible by Donna and Ben
Rosen, and Stern architect
Michael Jones, a member of the LongHouse Reserve board
of directors.
“It was important to us”, opened Arad, “to create a space
where the community would feel included. For me, someone
who’s completely from the outside – I’m not Christian, not
black, not local, not from Charleston – to presume what
would be the correct design direction without engaging in
conversation would have been fruitless…We approached this
project by considering the nature of forgiveness.” Goldberg
interjected, “The act of forgiveness transcends those
identity markers…Certain things about human experience
transcend culture. Even though we don’t normally think of it
this way, feeling is itself a function. Gothic cathedrals
inspire feeling and emotion. There is a long history of form
following feeling.”
In closing the thought-provoking evening, Arad offered, “Public
spaces are important in our society - for many reasons - but
primarily, I think, because it gives us a shared sense of
identity. As an architect, when you can contribute to that,
it’s very gratifying.”
Guests included LongHouse President Nina Gillman,
Board Members Dianne Benson (President Emerita), Emma
Clurman, Gael Towey and Stephen Doyle, Elizabeth and Mark
Levine, Deborah Nevins, Peter H. Olsen, Suzanne Slesin, and Dr.
Yung Yang Chung, Ronne Fisher, Edgar Gonzaga, Fitzhugh
Karol, Eileen O’Kane Kornreich, Rita Meusburger, Lee
Skolnick, Jade Netanya Ullmann, and Paul Whelan.
The next Larsen Salon March 20th features architect Calvin
Tsao of Tsao & McKown Architects, in conversation
with Sherri Donghia at
the New York Academy of Art. To reserve tickets go to: https://longhouse.org/products/the-larsen-salon-series-calvin-tsao-sherri-donghia-march-20
The
LongHouse Reserve season in East Hampton opens March 30th. Jonathan
Adler, Liz Collins, and Machine
Dazzle continue
the Larsen Salon series out-East.
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