After Anna Neimark’s introduction, Andrew Holder discusses his collaboration with K. Michael Hays, “Inscriptions: Architecture before speech”, surveying over 100 emerging U.S. architecture practices.

Holder proposes eight categories for the projects in “Inscriptions”: “box, stack, array, maze, body, mark, block, rock”. He develops this into a map of contemporary architectural practice defined by four quadrants: Immanent originals / Transcendental originals / Revealed originals / Encountered originals.

He argues that the work raises three key questions: What is the function of commonality? How is architecture related to history? What are the consequences of already knowing?

In response, Holder proposes “Five points on an architecture of inscription”:
1. Marks, inscribing emptiness – e.g. Anna Neimark and Andrew Atwood (First Office) and others.
2. Tasks, agreeing to perform – e.g. Michelle Chang (JaJa Co), Paul Preissner Architects, David Eskenazi (d.esk).
3. Gathering, convening around form – e.g. Mira Henry & Mathew Au (Current Interests), Kelly Bair and Kristy Balliet (BairBalliet), Medium Office.
4. History, using shocks and ruptures – e.g. books by Michael Osman, Lucia Allais, Zeynep Çelik, Alexander; exhibitions by Sylvia Lavin (“Architecture arboretum”), Giovanna Borasi (“The Other architect”), Ashley Bigham and Outpost Office (“Fulfilled”).
5. Doubt, knowing and novelty – proposing an approach to history and recognizability different from that of Manfredo Tafuri (“The Historical project”), Michel Foucault, and Louis Althusser.

At 52:40. Holder responds to comments and questions from Anna Neimark and David Eskenazi and, at 1:08:45, comments from audience.