A lecture by Ásdís Ólafsdóttir

 

"From nature to architecture:
Alvar Aalto and his use of wood".

​

Sunday 3rd June 2018, 14.30 - 16.30

Jumièges Abbey

​

Alvar Aalto's architecture is characterised by being rooted in the environment, often emphasised by encroaching vegetation on the inside or out. Nature is symbolically reflected equally in structural or decorative elements and by the use of wood across his architectural and design work. The lecture will concentrate on Aalto's relationship with wood and with nature from both the point of view of the vernacular tradition and in the innovative work of this Finnish master.
The Maison Louis Carré in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne will be discussed as an example of employing wood as a natural, emblematic and profoundly humane material.

 

Ásdís Ólafsdóttir is from Iceland and obtained her doctorate in the History of Art from the University of Paris 1. She specialises in the history of 20th century design and has written a number of publications, including several on Alvar Aalto’s furniture. As well as being an exhibition curator, author and lecturer, Ásdís Ólafsdóttir is also the administrator of Alvar Aalto's Maison Louis Carré and director of the review, ARTnord.    

​

The lecture coincides with the exhibition at the Logis Abbatial by the four masters of Finnish photography and the projection of "Les femmes de la Maison Carré" by Elina Brotherus.