with the exhibition “Sink or Swim: Designing for a Sea Change,” on view through May 3, 2015.
To serve as an enhancement of the current exhibition at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, “Sink or Swim: Designing for a Sea Change,” the museum is presenting a lecture series in accordance with the exhibit’s subject matter.
The Iris Night Lecture Series, which began on Jan. 15 and will continue every Thursday until April 30, features photographers, architects, and other informed figures who will be sharing their knowledge in regards to the exhibition.
“Sink or Swim” aims to show its audience all of the innovative ways in which residents of coastal communities respond to changes in their landscapes, particularly potential increases in sea levels.
In this unique way, human stories of resilience and strength are conveyed simply by displaying photographs of the architecture and infrastructure planning that is developed in order to adapt to changing circumstances.
From the richest to the poorest of these seaside neighborhoods, humans have taken various measures to re-mold their living situations to counter any imminent increasing water levels. The exhibition therefore seeks to stimulate critical dialogue about such challenges.
In accordance with the concept of the exhibit, relevant figures will be informing interested audiences about relevant topics, including water/energy conservation, natural disasters, and urban sustainability.
“Sink or Swim has provided a rich range of topics for the 2015 Iris Nights season,” Pat Lanza, Director of Talent & Content at the Annenberg Space for Photography, said. “In addition to talks by exhibition photographers and guest curator Frances Anderton that will provide a deeper understanding of the work in Sink or Swim, talks by architects, environmentalists, and photographers will expand upon the issues of design, climate change, and human resilience at the heart of the exhibition.”
This Thursday, Jan. 29, architect Ted Hyman will be presenting his lecture, “The Future of Architecture: Restorative, Sustainabile, Net Zero.”
With 35 years’ worth of designing sustainable buildings under his belt, Hyman plans to discuss the complex problem of what direction to take with the next generation of buildings and what to do with the current stock of energy-consuming buildings all over the world.
The rest of the Iris Nights lecture series schedule is as follows:
• Thursday, Feb. 5: Walker Wells, Vice President of Green Urbanism and Global Green, will be presenting “Armor, Adapt, Retreat: Green Urbanism for a Changing Climate.” Global Green is a national non-profit based in Santa Monica. Wells strives to revitalize disadvantaged communities in integrating green strategies into neighborhood planning and building design.
• Thursday, Feb. 12: Stephen Wilkes, exhibition photographer, will be presenting “Evolution.” Wilkes will be sharing his personal evolution as a photographer, focusing on some of his documentary work on Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.
• Thursday, Feb. 19: Henk Ovink, Principal of “Rebuild by Design,” will be presenting “Rebuild by Design, Collaborative and Inclusive Innovation.” Ovink will be discussing regional urban crises and how design can help in building more resilience.
• Thursday, Feb. 26: Mia Lehrer, Founder of Mia Lehrer+Associates, will be presenting “The Los Angeles Water Conundrum: Adaptability by Design.” Lehrer will be discussing the transformation of L.A.’s usage of and relationship with water.
• Thursday, Mar. 5: Mark Holtzman, exhibition photographer, will be presenting “Aloft: Photographing at 100 MPH.” Holtzman will be discussing the challenges of working as a photographer inside an aircraft.
• Thursday, Mar. 12: Frances Anderton, Sink or Swim guest curator, will be discussing the making of the exhibition itself.
• Thursday, Mar. 19: John Trotter, photojournalist, will be presenting “No Agua, No Vida: Human Alteration of the Colorado River.” Trotter will be discussing his project regarding the human alteration of the Colorado River.
• Thursday, Mar. 26: Claire Harlan, photographer, will be presenting “Grandscapes.” Harlan will be discussing the role of architecture in her photography.
• Thursday, Apr. 2: Magda Blernat-Webster, architectural photographer, will be presenting “North Via South.” Biernat-Webster will discuss her most recent projects regarding the natural world, including her travels to Antarctica and Alaska.
• Thursday, Apr. 16: Hadley and Peter Arnold, directors of the Arid Lands Institute, will be presenting “Divining Los Angeles: Adaptation by Design.” The speakers will be discussing adaptation methods to climate extremes in the 21st century.
• Thursday, Apr. 23: Kip Evans, diver and submersible pilot, will be presenting “Our Oceans 20 Years From Now.” Evans will be discussing the changes he has observed in the world’s oceans during his 30 plus years of documentary-photography exploration.
• Thursday, Apr. 30: Balazs Gardi, photographer, will be presenting “Stories from the Water Front.” Gardi will be sharing stories of how water has affected human life.
All lectures begin at 6:30 pm, are free of charge, and will be held in the Skylight Studios at the photography space.
The Annenberg Space for Photography Skylight Studios is located at 10050 Constellation Blvd. in Century City.
For more information, call 213.403.3000 or visit annenbergphotospace.org.
