The Tulipwood Aqueduct joins a Labrinthe and returns to Segovia
The Sala de Estampado room in Casa de la Moneda, Segovia displays an exhibition of American tulipwood in which visitors can actively take part in the construction of an aqueduct replica using modular pieces and delve into a labyrinth.
From Monday 24th February until Monday 31st March, the Casa de la Moneda is hosting a project utilising American hardwood, specifically American tulipwood, a wood renowned for its versatility, making it a material of choice for architects and designers. The assembly consists of a Roman aqueduct and a labyrinth which has been dutifully created by IE University students and coordinated by Professor Ruth Vega and architect, Fermin Blanco.
The replica of Segovia’s Roman aqueduct is part of an educational project called Yin Yang which takes its name from the double complementary vision that every element of nature has. According to the Taoist philosophy: “Every positive has a negative that is both its complementary”. Following this principle, the project divides into two complementary visions developed from the Lupo system, a modular system patented by architect Fermin Blanco. The Lupo system is a set of basic pieces with proportional forms and dimensions allowing a diversity of combinations. The results are two actions, one with the “positives”, the replica of the Roman aqueduct of Segovia and the other with the “negatives”, the Labyrinth.
The two structures are displayed together occupying the old Sala de Estampado room of La Casa de la Moneda in a position that can be seen throughout the room and invites the viewer to interact with the structure. This is the second installation of the Yin Yang project which began in 2012 in a collaboration between the city of Segovia, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and IE University.
The first installation of the Yin Yang project took place during the Segovia Hay Festival in 2012. At that time, the assembly consisted of a construction of a three metre high replica of the Aqueduct in Segovia. IE University students and residents of Segovia erected a wooden aqueduct of American tulipwood in front of the famous monument. Subsequently the tulipwood aqueduct was removed and 336 blocks were transported by a human chain formed by students and more than three hundred citizens from the Plaza del Azoguejo to the Casa de los Picos, a space where they formed part of a new work of visual art entitled ‘Esponja’. Shelia Cremashi, Director of the Hay Festival commented, ‘It is the best community project I have ever seen at Segovia’. AHEC is delighted that the tulipwood blocks from the Hay Festival have been re-used again for this interesting exhibition creating amusement and interaction with the public.
Students: Carolina Borreguero, Mirima del Pozo, Víctor Esquivel, Javier Gallardo, Oscar Herrero, Mario López, María Lucas, Pedro Nadal, Andrea Ovando, Rafael Sanz, Susana Suárez, Jacobo Mingorance, Enrique Agudo, Letizia Caprile, Alejandro Díaz, Josephine Elizabeth Gillard, Virginia Junquera, Tunisha Kapadia, Álvaro Federico Menéndez y Elis Misirli. – See more at: http://news.university.ie.edu/2014/02/the-casa-de-la-moneda-hosts-an-innovative-proposal-by-ie-university-students-done-in-wood.html#sthash.MW6XSJ2q.dpuf
The Casa de La Moneda of Segovia installation will be open from Monday 24th February until Monday 31st March 2014.