Michael Blackwood Productions (Firm)

Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio established the architectural firm of Diller + Scofidio in the late '70's. For fifteen years they focused on performance; collaborations with choreographers, writers and directors; and architectural projects realized in an art world setting. Considered among the most "brainy" and unique architectural teams working today, their media-based work expands the conventional boundaries of architecture.. In this video...

50 international architects along with several artists were invited by the Max Protetch gallery in New York to submit design proposals for a new World Trade Center and memorial. The exhibition, entitled "A New World Trade Center: Design Proposals" opened four months after the attacks and attracted unparalleled crowds. Its intention was to contribute to the discussion by allowing artists and architects to freely re-imagine the site. In the video 20...

At the beginning of the new millennium the Museum of Modern Art is trying to redefine itself for the twenty-first century by undergoing the largest expansion in its 75-year history. This film gives a sense of the museum's attempts at finding a new direction for itself, with emphasis on its astounding collection. It is presented to the camera by the curators of the three cycles of the 'end of the century' exhibitions. These were 'Modern Starts', 'Making...

Art historians and critics talk with Philip Guston about his ideas and new work of the 1970's as he moves away from Abstract Expressionism and shifts his focus to Figuration. With the participation of Roberta Smith, Jan Butterfield and Charles Shere, CONVERSATIONS WITH PHILIP GUSTON becomes an intimate study of the artist's thoughts, theories, and artistic pursuits.

Bernd and Hilla Becher discuss their beginnings as documentarians of 19th century industrial architecture while showing us their retrospective exhibition at Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof Museum. Bernd and Hilla Becher had been working together as photographers since 1957, documenting and classifying endangered architecture, such as industrial structures, that are now vanishing from the modern landscape. By the end of the 1960's they became part of the...

This video documents a historic two-day conference organized in March, 2003 by Bernard Tschumi, then Dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture. The conference assembled some of the greatest minds in architecture. Most participants presented cutting edge concepts and ideas.

Through a blend of Japanese history and Western influence, Arata Isozaki has built a career around his boldly distinctive architectural style. Constantly challenging the concepts of space, form and tradition, Isozaki's work dares us to imagine a merging of cultures where artistic movements and methods bind together in riveting new forms. "ARATA ISOZAKI II: INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS" follows the architect to many of his most famous sites including the...

Filmed in 1979, POTSDAM: GERMANY'S CITY OF GHOSTS documents the compelling past and present of the East German city. Once residence to the Prussian Kings and later on the German emperors, Potsdam is known for its rich history. After serving as the location for the 1945 Potsdam Conference following the conclusion of WW2, the city went on to house the headquarters for both the Soviet army and the East German military. Narrated by seasoned New York Times...

At work on his Elegies and Windows series, Motherwell examines his place in the Abstract Expressionist movement, which he calls the first original American movement in the "mainstream," and its practitioners "the last romantics." He distinguishes between his large paintings and his intimate papier collé.. Motherwell recollects the state of American art in the 1940s and the impact of European emigré painters on the younger generation of emerging...

Filmed in 1983, AZNAVOUR: BREAKING AMERICA documents French "pop deity" Charles Aznavour as he moves his family from France to Los Angeles, while also attempting to make his name known to the masses in America. Known as "France's Frank Sinatra", we hear Aznavour's distinguished tenor voice as we follow him to rehearsals, recording his songs in english, and performing on Broadway. Within this film Charles' passion for his songs and stage work is displayed....