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Villa Noailles: Skateparks as Landscapes

Feb 23, 2016

Exhibition Landskating at Villa Noailles in France observes skateboarding through perspectives of architecture and photography. Until 20 March 2016.

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Architecture exhibition Landskating at Villa Noailles in Hyères, France, explores skateboarding as an activity to observe urban space, and skateparks as elements of landscaping cities and nature.

Skaters observe the spaces as genuine playgrounds and assert a different means of using city centres as they practice on different types of surfaces and objects. Ramps, handrails, benches, pipelines and stairs become promises of sporting performances. The practice of skateboarding results in an infinite number of spaces constructed and designed for skateboarding or re-appropriated from their initial intention.

The exhibition presents nine skatepark projects in France, Belgium, Japan, Spain, Finland, and in the US accompanied with a historical report of the forms of skateboarding practices and the sociologies that they propose.

For the exhibition, Villa Noailles has also commissioned four photographers – Olivier Amsellem, Maxime Delvaux, Stéphane Ruchaud and Cyrille Weiner – to photograph skateparks and urban spaces appropriated for skateboarding. The photographers do not only observe skateparks and urban spaces through the activity of skateboarding, but as geometric, poetic and occasionally mystical elements of landscapes. •

Exhibition Landskating at Villa Noailles in Hyères, France, on 21 February–20 March 2016. The exhibition coincides with architecture exhibition Villa La Reine Jeanne.

Read also
TLmagazine 24 February 2016
Villa Noailles: View on Cote d’Azur Living

Skatepark, Courbevoie. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Stéphane Ruchaud, 2016.
Skatepark, Courbevoie. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Stéphane Ruchaud, 2016.
Skatepark, Magny-les-Hameaux. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Stéphane Ruchaud, 2016.
Skatepark, Magny-les-Hameaux. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Stéphane Ruchaud, 2016.
Skatepark rue Léon Clade, Paris. Agence Constructo & Raphaël Zarka, 2012. Photo Stéphane Ruchaud, 2016.
Skatepark rue Léon Clade, Paris. Agence Constructo & Raphaël Zarka, 2012. Photo Stéphane Ruchaud, 2016.
New York. Photo Jessica Bard, circa 1980.
New York. Photo Jessica Bard, circa 1980.
Skatepark, Baumes-les-Dames. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Cyrilles Weiner, 2016-01-10.
Skatepark, Baumes-les-Dames. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Cyrilles Weiner, 2016-01-10.
Skatepark, Olari, Finland. Janne Saario Landskape Architecture, 2014. Photo Janne Saario Landskape architecture.
Skatepark, Olari, Finland. Janne Saario Landskape Architecture, 2014. Photo Janne Saario Landskape architecture.
Skatepark, Apt. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Olivier Amsellem, 2016.
Skatepark, Apt. Photography commissioned by Villa Noailles. Photo Olivier Amsellem, 2016.
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