Cakitecture

Cakitecture is a short documentary film about Madelon Vriesendorp. It was originally commissioned for a conference concerning the Deleuzian fold. Madelon Vriesendorp's work has appeared recently in her show The World of Madelon Vriesendorp at the Architectural Association in the UK, at Art Basel, and she is unique in having exhibited work in Venice Biennales and Architecture Biennales one after the other. She has a close association with architecture, having founded OMA with her husband Rem Koolhaas, and taught at the AA for several years. She was recently made a fellow of RIBA.

Madelon and I bake a cake during the course of the film. The cake is made out of a number of layers that fold into each other. As each layer is poured a new aspect of Madelon's work is introduced. The folding of ingredients and the folding of layers is often used as a metaphor for contemporary architecture practice in contrast to the more dialectical, antagonistic juxtapositions of post-modern architecture.

A lot of Madelon's work makes use of folded card and origami figures, but this is only the most litereal aspect of folding in the film. We discuss the folding of one culture into another, the folds of collaboration, the 'fold of an event' that defines a sudden change in circumstances, the fold that can become an emotional gesture, the relationship of theory to practice, and many other artistic, philosophical and architectural aspects of folding are covered or suggested by the film.

The film was shot in one day at Madelon's home so that we had the chance to look at and discuss specific objects and works. Besides making the cake, Madelon makes from scratch a work that was shown at Venice Biennale in 2009.

The film is available for public presentation and exhibition. If you wish to show it, please contact Ian Kirk.