François Roche

New-Territories/Francois Roche Avatar, Venice Biennale, 2010

François Roche (born 1961, Paris) is a French architect, co-founder of the architecture studio, New-Territories including LabM4, R&Sie(n), [eIf/bʌt/c], Mindmachinemakingmyths, among others names.^[1]

Biography

He studied in Chalon-sur-Saône, and afterward entered scientific preparatory school in Lyon. He left that school prior to graduating, and enrolled at the school of architecture of Versailles. He graduated from this school in 1988.

In 1989 he co-founded an organization, R&Sie(n), with architects Stephanie Lavaux and Jean Navarro.^[1] The sub-names have changed several times between 1989 and now: BoyeRoche (1989); Roche (1990); Roche & François (1991); Roche, Francois, Lewis, Huber, Roubaud, Perrin (1992); Roche, DSV & Sie (1993–97); R, DSV & Sie. P (1998); R & Sie. D/B: L (1999–2001); R&Sie(n) (2001 to present),^[2] adding a new one, titled [eIf/bʌt/c] since 2011. This transformation of his firm name over time serves to illustrate its hybrid character, to destabilize the figure of the architect^[3] and appear, according to French critic "iconoclast".^[4]

New-Territories is fronted by an avatar and Roche has been secretive about his appearance, refusing to be photographed. However, in 2011 he suggested the avatar would be 'suicided' but it seems that this one refused the deal.^[5] New-territories closed the office in Paris en 2011 and moved in Asia, Thailand.^[6]

Today François Roche is developing at the same time an apparatus of research “new-territories” including several labels, a production structure, via R&Sie (n) to develop and fabricate simultaneously architecture fragments and movies, and 'M4/mindmachinemakingmyths' a robotic fab LAB in Bangkok.^[7] He was Visiting Professor at Columbia-Gsapp, New York City,^[8] 2006–13, leading one of the "advanced studio".^[9] He has been a Visiting Professor at RMIT, Upenn, Michigan, among other places. He is a faculty member of EGS, Philosophy, Art & Critical Thought.^[10]

From 1991 to 1994, François Roche took an active part in the newspaper Purple Prose,^[11] as an associate writer. A rebound of the Liberation newspaper entitled “the city died” in 1994 will come to enclose this period.^[12]

In 1993 the French Institute of Architecture offered him the possibility of unfolding the whole of its first experiments under the title “Action, March 93” which would give an account of twenty of his projects.^[13] A monographic work was to be published, now sold out “The shade of the chameleon”.^[14]

The name R&Sie (n) is resulting from the contraction of the group, but it also refers to RSI, the event "Real, Symbolic, Imaginary"^[15] of Jacques Lacan in 1972. The pronunciation “heresy” which seems completely fortuitous, launched by Bruce Sterling via its Wired review in 2006, finishes by him (their) sticking to the skin.^[16]

New-Territories has been invited in multiple sessions of Biennial of Architecture of Venice, in 1991, 1996,^[17] 2000,^[18] 2002, 2004,^[19] 2008,^[20] 2010,^[21] 2014,^[22] both in French pavilion (3 times) and international selection (5 times). Their works are actually visible at the First Biennial of Architecture of Chicago, 2015 ^[23] and invited at the next Biennial of Istanbul.

Their works are integrated in the Permanent Collection of SF-MOMA, Pompidou Center, CCA Montreal, FRAC Orleans, Mudam, TBA21 among others.

This architect is associated:

• In R&Sie(n) with Stephanie Lavaux, artist, since 1993 and many very others along the time.
• In [eIf/bʌt/c] with Camille Lacadee (until 2015), "institute of contingents scenario" opened in 2011, based in BKK.

François Roche is the guest editor of LOG#25, NY Critic Revue, issue released in July 2012 / title Reclaim Resi(lience)stance.^[24]

A large retrospective is planned in Nov. 2016, in France, at the Art Center of experimental and radical Architecture, Orleans, titled "S/He would rather do FICTION MAKer" with the Avatar as master of ceremony.^[25]

Monographs

• 2015 / mythomaniaS.^[26]
• 2014 / Heretical-Machinism.^[27]
• 2011 / Architecture des Humeurs. Catalogue on research-exhibition. PDF 2mo^[28]
• 2010 / New-Territories-R&Sie(n).^[29]
• 2010 / BioReboot.^[30]
• 2007 / Fiction Scripts. Cruated and Edited by Bruce Q. Lan,AADCU publisher.
• 2006 / Spoiled Climate.^[31]
• 2005 / I,ve heard About.^[32]
• 2004 / Corrupted Biotopes.

four apparatuses

His works are organized on four sets of themes / 1° Research as Speculation, 2° Fiction as Practice, 3° Practice as Lifespan (H&N), 4° Daily Routine as mythomaniaS

• 1° A speculative architecture which works out devices between robotics, mathematics, neurobiology and biochemistry (have a look on internet on the both exhibition-research “Ive heard about”^[33] & “an architecture of moods”.^[34]
• 2° An operative and fictional architecture which tries to re-scenarize the relation with a situation, with an environment (like principle of reality)
• 3° A fragile architecture which negotiates with the arrow of time, with the transitory one or what seems the being
• 4° An anthropo-technic research on human pathology and exhibitionism, through machinism and movie making ^[35]

Guest professor position

• Bartlett School, London in 2000, inviting Allison Dring as assistant
• TU, Vienna, in 2001
• ESARQ, Barcelona, in 2003-04
• ESA, Paris, in 2005
• UPenn (University of Pennsylvania) in Philadelphia in 2006
• Columbia, New-York, 2006, inviting David Benjamin^[36]
• Columbia, New-York, 2007, inviting Marc Fornes^[37]
• Columbia, New-York, 2008, inviting Marc Fornes^[38]
• Angewangde School, Vienna in 2008, inviting Marc Fornes and Stephan Henrich^[39]
• USC, Los Angeles, in 2009, inviting Stephan Henrich and Marc Fornes^[40]
• Columbia, New-York, 2009, inviting Marc Fornes and Mat Staudt^[41]
• Columbia, New-York, 2010, inviting Ezio Blasetti & Dave Pigram^[42]
• USC, Los Angeles, 2010–11, with Stephan Henrich and Qi Su as "visiting professor"^[43]
• Columbia, New-York, 2011, inviting Ezio Blasetti with Miranda Romer^[44]
• Columbia, New-York, 2012, inviting Ezio Blasetti^[45]
• RMIT, Melbourne, 2012, inviting Gwyll Jahn^[46]
• Columbia, New-York, & Upenn, Philadelphia, 2013-2014, inviting Stephan Henrich / Ezio Blasetti with Luis Felipe, Devin Jernigan^[47]
• RMIT, Melbourne, 2012-13-14-15, inviting Gwyll Jahn and Vong

Selection of exhibitions

• Columbia University (New York, 1999–2000), UCLA (Los Angeles, 1999–2000), “@namorphous changes”/ Through R&Sie(n)
• ICA (London, 2001), “In any way, it's already happened” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Jean Navarro ^[48]
• Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, 2004), Frac Collection / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Jean Navarro ^[49]
• Center Pompidou (Paris, 2003), “nonstandard Architecture” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Jean Navarro ^[50]
• MAM/Museum of Modern art (Paris, 2005), “I' ve Heard About” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Jean Navarro, with Benoit Durandin, Mathieu Lehanneur ^[51]
• MAM/Museum of Modern art (Paris, 2006), “Terra Incognita” / Through R&Sie(n) with Pierre Huyghe
• Tate Modern (London, 2006), “Terra Incognita” / Through R&Sie(n) with Pierre Huyghe^[52]
• Barbican (London, 2009), “radical nature” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Kiuchi Toshikatsu ^[53]
• Louisiana (Denmark, 2009), “green building” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Kiuchi Toshikatsu ^[54]
• Le Laboratoire (Paris, 2010), “an architecture of moods” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Kiuchi Toshikatsu, associated to François Jouve, Stephan Henrich, with Natanel Elfassy, Winston Hampel, Marc. Fornes, Gatean Robillard ^[55]
• MOMASF (Los Angeles, 2010), “Bodies and Design” / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Kiuchi Toshikatsu
• Archilab (Orleans, 1999,2001,2003) / Through R&Sie(n) / Stephanie Lavaux, Jean Navarro
• French Pavilion of Biennial of Architecture of Venice in 1990, 1996, 2000 and 2002 (year that they refused for political reasons) / Through R&Sie(n)
• International Pavilion of Biennial of Architecture of Venice in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2010 both international^[56] and the Austrian Pavilion.^[57] and Pallazo Bembo in 2014.^[58]
• Biennal of Chicago / 2015 / Oct-Jan / ^[59]

References

1. "Francois Roche". Designboom. 10 January 2008. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
2. CV on official site - new-territories
3. Francois Roche Interview, CLab New York (You Tube video)
4. Cover-Interview on 20 pages with F.R.
5. William Wiles (8 August 2011). "Profile: François Roche and R&Sie(n)". Icon. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
6. le(pari) de BKK
7. MindMachineMakingMyths, MORFAE (blog)
8. GSAPP
9. Access to several teaching Courses
10. EGS, The European Graduate School-Swiss
11. Purple prose access
12. / Liberation Rebond 1994
13. / Liberation 1993
14. / "Ombre du Cameleon"
15. Jacques Lacan, Séminaire XXII: R.S.I. in Seminars of Jacques Lacan. Editions of Le Seuil]
16. Portrait in Wired-US
17. Biennial 1996
18. Biennial 2000
19. Biennial 2004
20. Biennial 2008
21. Biennial 2010
22. Biennial 2014
23. Chicago Architecture Biennial 2015
24. / LOG#25
25. / s/he would rather do FICTION MAKer
26. mythomaniaS
27. Heretical Machinism and Living Architecture
28. / Mouvement Publisher
29. / C3 Korea Publisher
30. / Princeton Press Bioreboot
31. / Spoiled Climate
32. / Paris Musee Publisher
33. / "I've heard about"
34. / an architecture "des humeurs"
35. / mythomaniaS
36. Advanced studio GSAPP 2006
37. Advanced studio GSAPP 2007
38. Advanced studio GSAPP 2008
39. Cross-studio
40. USC 2009
41. Advanced studio GSAPP 2009
42. Advanced studio GSAPP 2010
43. LABM4 2010-11
44. Gsapp 2011
45. Gsapp 2012
46. RMIT-UTS 2012
47. Gsapp 2013
48. ICA 2001
49. Mori 2004
50. No Standart 2004
51. I,ve heard About 2005
52. Terra Incognita,Tate Modern London
53. Radical Nature, Barbican London
54. Green Building, Louisiana, Denmark
55. An Architecture des Humeurs, Paris
56. Biennale Venise 2010
57. Austrian Pavilion Biennale 2010
58. Biennale Venise 2014
59. Chicago Architecture Biennal 2015

External links

• Web site - New-Territories