In a region that had to deal with vacancy of buildings as well as whole areas as a result of a decline in population combined with the economical recession REcentre considers the temporary park as the perfect case study for models for temporary use, while simultaneously exploring meaning and function of a park. Over the course of at least a year REcentre will develop and implement various uses of a (con)temporary park. In doing so we will seek collaboration with (local) students, designers, architect, activists, organizations and inhabitants of Maastricht and the Euregion Meuse-Rhine.
The process and outcome of the park will also be represented in the REcentre exhibition ‘Common Grounds’ running until February 2012 in NAim/Bureau Europa.

The exhibition, curated by Elias Redstone, originated as an online project and showcases 60 architecture magazines, fanzines and journals from over 20 countries. From Australia and Argentina to the UK and USA, these independent publications are reframing how people relate to their built environment – taking comment and criticism out of just an architectural arena and into everyday life. The titles also provide platforms for architectural research and debate, and demonstrate the residual love of the printed word and paper page – providing an antidote to digital publishing. Made by architects, artists and students, they add an important, and often radical, addition to architectural discourse. Each magazine is available to read in the exhibition along with video interviews with their creators talking about their work.

An accompanying catalogue, published by Bedford Press, further explores the relationship between architecture and publishing with contributions from Pedro Gadanho (Beyond), Iker Gil (MAS Context), Adam Murray (Preston is my Paris), Rob Wilson (Block), Mimi Zeiger (Maximum Maxim MMX/loudpaper) and more. Themes addressed in a series of new essays include the role of publishing in academia and architectural practice, and the representation of architecture in fictional writing, photography, magazines and fanzine culture.

To coincide with the exhibition the full ARCHIZINES collection is being transferred to the National Art Library at the V&A. By providing a permanent home for the publications collected as part of this research project, this period of publishing activity will be available as a public resource for generations to come.

Does Bircken, with this powerful symbol of hope, refer to the old soul of the historic port cities of Antwerp and Amsterdam, now linked by the High-Speed Line? Or is this anchor rather intended as an item of jewellery, the enlargement of a charm one might find on a necklace, and thus a Beuysian commentary on the area surrounding the train station, with its many Jewish jewellery shops and trendy fashion boutiques?
It seems that appearances can be deceiving, once we observe particular details of the sculpture. The anchor is not a wrought iron replica but a copy assembled from chrome plated steel, and like the accompanying anchor chain it is a refined two-dimensional abstraction of an original ship’s anchor. Furthermore, it appears that the top of the anchor is ‘tattooed’ with a mysterious boat-shaped symbol. On further examination we see the inscription of the Hebrew word ‘Noah’. The link with the oldest boat in history, Noah’s Ark, is of course quickly forged, but the key to the deeper significance of this sculpture lies in the original meaning of the word Noah in Proto-Germanic language: calm, quiet and tranquillity. Bircken thus refers subtly to the serene mystery of an anchored boat at rest. A bigger contrast between this romantic image and the world that hurtles past us in today’s high-speed traffic is almost inconceivable.

Through the perfection of the polished chrome finish on the originally robust object, Bircken takes the viewer with her into an associative world in which mutability, the real and the artificial interrogate one another. Obviously, the passing traveller will not quickly forget the elevated symbolism of the hanging anchor. There is every chance that Bircken’s ‘Snag’ will permanently vitalise the platform by firmly anchoring it in the collective memory of many a passenger.

Snag can be seen at track 23-24 of Antwerp Central Station.

Bas van Beek
Willem Hoebink
Maria Barnas
Fenna Haakma Wagenaar
Jan Hoek
Jonathan Deltour
Michiel Keuper
Roderick Hietbrink
Willem Haakma Wagenaar
Debora Treep
Peter Hermanides
Hudson Gardner
Leonie Linotte
Giulio Ghirardi
Nienke Terpsma & Rob Hamelijnck
Mika Savela
Joshua Thies
Marlies Levels
Huan Hsu