Peter Cook/CRAB Studio: Towards Comfo-Veg

April 6—May 13 in the SCI-Arc Gallery Discussion and Opening Reception: Friday, April 6, 7-9pm Architect Peter Cook and SCI-Arc Director Eric Owen Moss discuss the exhibition. SCI-Arc is pleased to present "Towards Comfo-Veg," a large-scale site-specific installation by architect and artist Peter Cook and partner Gavin Robotham of CRAB, in the SCI-Arc Gallery. Building on CRAB's internationally-renowned experimental and experiential work, this installation introduces a six-zone, almost completely light-tight experiential space which culminates in a sonic chamber with seating and projections.

The installation leads from the world of CRAB, the London-based architecture practice of Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham, towards hints of an invented world as it might be. It then installs a hint of a comfortable vegetated world: the Comfo-Veg Club. Divided into three zones, the gallery installation welcomes visitors through a single point of entry into a dark blue corridor anchored by a flat-screen monitor providing info on the exhibition. The exhibition's second zone consists of a series of 5" peep holes installed along one side of the corridor's wall, displaying very small objects and pictures showcasing CRAB's work. This second zone is also defined by an overhead sculpture resembling an airplane wing, fabricated from lightweight wood with a translucent skin. This lightweight "kite" or "wing" hovers above symbolizing and enduring attitude of "lightness" and dragonfly spirit of CRAB. The third and largest zone houses the COMFO VEG, a soft sofa sculpture lining the length of the installation with a backrest of varying height. Created out of a continuous snake of "veg" colored fabric, the COMFO VEG sofa sculpture will be sewn and stuffed by the exhibition's installation team. A fragmented video projection will provide atmosphere as the exhibition's soundtrack picks up on the chitter-chatter of CRAB itself. Taken together, Towards Comfo-Veg will create a surreal, dream-like environment to fill the entirety of the SCI-Arc Gallery. SCI-Arc Gallery