Sam Jacob Reflects on Architecture's Demise Through Sean Griffiths's Installation

In a March 2015 article for ArtReview, Sam Jacob examines the divide in modern architecture between grandiosity and mediocrity. He highlights Sean Griffiths's 2014 work 'My Dreams of Levitation' at Room Artspace in London, which showcases a doorframe hanging from the ceiling alongside a three-dimensional room offset. Griffiths, who previously worked with Jacob at the architecture firm FAT, investigates domestic environments through displaced architectural features like skirting boards and window frames. After two decades of operation, FAT disbanded in 2014 following their curation of the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale and a collaboration with Grayson Perry on a house project. Jacob contends that architecture has bifurcated into urban spectacles, such as Anish Kapoor's 'Cloud Gate' in Chicago, and monotonous, risk-averse structures. He draws inspiration from figures like Gordon Matta-Clark, Dan Graham, Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman, and Venturi and Scott Brown. The installation implies that architecture could transform into art, with deprofessionalization paving the way for more impactful urban ideas.