P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center: P.S.1 Newspaper 2009 Fall: Q&A with the YAP Jury: Terence Riley

2009 Fall

Q&A with the YAP Jury: Terence Riley

This article refers to the P.S.1 exhibition YAP 10th Anniversary Review

Part of the criteria for the Young Architects Program is a consideration of sun, shade, water, dancing and seating for P.S.1’s blockbuster summer music program, WarmUp. The jury committee comprised of both P.S.1 and MoMA staff, was asked five questions about their insights, experiences, and observations from the past ten years.

P.S.1: What do you find to be the most particular characteristics of the young architects of the past ten years?

Terence Riley, Director of the Miami Art Museum, and former Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, MoMA: Bravery. Many of participants had little experience with building the types of structures they proposed. Moreover, I don’t think any of them had acted in the role of builder before.

P.S.1: When do you think an installation has been/is most successful?

TR: Young architects go through a kind of transformation when they are initiated into the pleasures and pains of construction, especially when their academic life has been spent in front of a computer. The fact that the experience is direct, without the filter of a contractor, leaves a real fingerprint on the work. This has been a hallmark of the best YAP projects.

P.S.1: Have you seen a change in the field of architecture due to the influence of the YAP program? How have you seen it evolve?

TR: I am not so sure it has influenced the course of architecture directly but it has acted as an extremely effective barometer, detecting shifts and innovations in design.

P.S.1: How has the competition affected both P.S.1 and MoMA?

TR: YAP has affected the careers of the participating architects more than the organizing institutions, which is to be expected.

P.S.1: Where do you hope the competition will go in the next ten years? In your opinion, how should it move forward and grow?

TR: Many institutions try to recreate the program and it doesn’t always seem to work. Its success seems to be a serendipitous mix of the space, local talent, and other factors. Let the architects continue to run with it until the ideas run dry. That doesn’t seem to be a problem at the moment.

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