Scientist-artist and philosopher-architect Arakawa will be forever integral to the reversible destiny project, but let it be known that as of today, May 19, 2010, and for several tormenting days and nights leading up to this outrageous day, the reversible destiny effort — architecture against mortality — had not yet be...en sufficiently organized into place to keep him alive and relentlessly kicking on this benighted planet as the biotopologist he tried super-heroically to be.

Sent by Martin Rosenberg, Jondi Keane, Joke Post and Russell Hughes on behalf of Arakawa and Gins

Always provocative.
unceasingly .....

 

And of the larger body A+G there's a very big G,
who I hope we will all cradle when architecture cannot.

all my best,

Jost

 

In an interview, the actor Anthony Quinn said: "You're not really dead until the last person who knew you dies." There is some truth to this. After all, unless you're looking directly into someone's eyes, your knowledge of them (even those who still walk the planet) is based almost entirely on your memory of them. If Anthony Quinn is right, then Arakawa will always be with us. But even more importantly, because of his (and Madeline Gins) great contribution to the world of art and architecture, he will be remember even after the rest of us have been long forgotten. In that sense, he accomplished his goal of never dying. For that, we should not be sad, but rather rejoice and be happy for him. Francis M. Naumann

Dear everybody, Arakawa helped me to see life and medicine differently, and for that I will always be truly thankful. May all of you continue to be blessed by his memory, which I believe, will feel like a very living presence in your lives. Thank you Madeline, Marty, and everyone else involved in this very living community. Scott Faber MD

Please let us commit to publishing books and articles on Arakawa and Gins, and building buildings and landscapes designed by Arakawa and Gins, not only to ensure their place in the history of art, but to underscore their morphogenesis of art into something more than the commodity fetishism of the wealthy--into transformative events enabling humanity to survive its current pathological trajectory. On a personal note, I will always remember his many kindnesses to an enthusiastic, often stumbling researcher.

 

I have landed on countless sites because of you.

I've gained worlds that I would not otherwise have even known.

 

Thank You For Ever.

 

--Alex

My family and I had the great pleasure of knowing Maddy and Arakawa for many years. In addition to his work, he was an immensely fun-loving, kind, and emotional person. Momentarily, we are incredibly sad but time will allow us to treasure his loving spirit which is very present in Maddy and all who knew him. Love, Myrna

Dear Arakawa,

We love you. Forever. Always. Now.

 

Yours, in all modes reversible,

 

Bobby and June George  

 

 We should celebrate Arakawa's achievements and acknowledge, as he would want, our need for more, more awareness, more daring architecture that does not go along with the way things are lived. We need bold architecture that goes in hitherto unseen directions, offering a different kind of novelty from that which the architecture industry and publicity machine provide. We need a new more open kind of newness. The only way to find it is to move, to live the tentative intimations that lead to unexpected futures. Sensing those intimations requires the precision and self-body-awareness that Arakawa and Gins work so hard to provoke and enable. May the work continue.

So long Arakawa, your friendship your work and your philosophy enriched my life and broadened my way of thinking. Thanks.You are and will always be with us. Carla Pellegrini

Arakawa's contributions to art, architecture, philosophy, cognitive science, medical science etc etc etc are too numerous to mention ... what I can say however is how his work effected/affected me personally. I have not been more illuminated, consoled and inspired by the texts he and his wife Madeline have penned. Their work is without question beyond our time, sadly. The promise of what it may bring to the future however, gives us solace in his departure from this earthly realm. Alive forever he is in this respect, making Reversible Destiny already an end achieved. To what his genius will bring to the future Arakawa without end

Arakawa-san, You and the philosophy of Reversible Destiny are too much ahead of time. And in order to understand you and your philosophy, it is obligatory to live in the Reversible Destiny Lofts 24hours/day and 365 days/year. This means, you will never die at least for the coming several hundred years. You will be always the front runner at the frontline of human civilization. We need to make Reversible Destiny happen so that we could understand your thoughts, philosophy and mechanism of Reversible Destiny. I will follow you and your thoughts forever. K. TOKUMARU

Dear Arakawa, We think of you often and you are with us. Your destiny remains open. Dear Madeline, We think often of you too, and are with you. Thank you both for what you continue to teach me. It never stops. love Trish

Now that Arakawa has decided to stop providing new ideas as his former self we start to pick up the pieces he scattered over fifty years of festive insightful perplexity. Madeline is in charge from now on, as he always intended. With my utmost respect and affection, Charles Stuckey

UN-FUNERAL / ANTI-FUNERAL/ DARLINGKA BIOTOPOLOGIZING COMMUNAL ACTION / AN ALL-OUT INSUFFICIENTLY PROCEDURAL BIOSCLEAVE RE-CONFIGURING /_____________ /
___________________ / ______________ / ______________ / ______________ /
______________ / ______________

 

[Or how else to refer to this that together we will invent? Add to this terminological junction.]

 

For ARAKAWA (July 6, 1936 - May 19, 2010 at 12:35 a.m.)

 

He (and billions of others) should not have had to die.

 

Our species has not yet achieved a reversible destiny.What actions ought
those working to help our species break free from mortality take in
response to the death of one of the founders ofreversible destiny?

 

Join this online FORUM and a REAL-TIME DISCUSSION, accessible at http://ag3.griffith.edu.au/

 

Time of occurrence: 4-7pm EST on Thursday, May 27, 2010, to help Madeline Gins
figure out what to do now and then what to do next.

Arakawa, with Madeline Gins, thinks through to the limits of art and philosophy, bravely and rigorously seeking the event of the transhumant. His death, like all, is a disaster – an unfortunate alignment of the stars, the constellation that has so far obstructed the species’ self-transformation. “We have decided not to die”: the “we” here must mean we humans, not these or those individuals, and Arakawa and Madeline have taken the first steps. Gary Shapiro

madeline gins & arakawa for forever / for forever / for forevering... we are thinking of you both, j / ps if madeline is in pieces then we will respect that-which-smashes but (thanks to A+G) never yield to it...

Just to say AGAIN how distressed we are over your/our/everyone's loss! Gracious  gracious how terrible. My son Matthew says how heroic it was of Arakawa, and such a hero's death, even glorious...

Mary Ann Caws

 

We are all victims of this sudden, random stoppage, this neutralization of subjectivity. To me, Arakawa will always be young, full of wisdom and humor.

Madeline: Welcome to the potential energy paths! Take (make) as much energy as possible!
<--A position of believing in.
                    A position of believing out from.-->

Love, Shaughan

 

 

The question arises -- In a world in which dying has been made illegal/completely unacceptable, should the ones who die and those who have lived in close relation to them be summarily arrested?

Reply – Never! In a world in which it will have become illegal/

completely unacceptable to die and legal/ perfectly acceptable to stay alive indefinitely, all those in the vicinity of cruel death will need to be summarily unarrested for always. Lyn Preston

To Arakawa and Madeline, ARAKAWA: A man, a plan, a canal Panama of endless reversible potentialities In the spirit of figuring things out. With sadness & hope, Michel Delville

We are deeply grieved by this sudden news.

Arakawa is alive in us forever and contributes in every moment to our sense of life and our ability to live. This doesn't make the sense of loss less poignant but it does continue to do what he and you have always done: raise the ante in how we live and explore life as the possibility of itself. You and he have lived for us in creating a source of thinking-being from which we can experience how it is that life is a vision of itself as singular possibility. Now we need to let that vision lead us onward, which is what will most deeply honor him.

Like no one else, to live the enhanced life honors him in his bodhisattva nature.

You know that you have our constant love, and we are always grateful to you and Arakawa and in the service of our common vision.

//GQ/SQ

He has been delivering straightforward and clear messages through his life. As a collaborative architect for his last architectural projects in Jpan and close friend, I am so proud of sharing fruitful time with Mr.Arakawa on Mitaka project and Shidami-project. Mr.Arakawa understands that new value is derived from significant discussion, mutual understanding and tenacity for realization. Whenever I meet him, I could learn his social awareness and powerfulness for innovation. And I could enjoy pleasant time with him. See you soon, Arakawa-san!

Sent on behalf of Madeline, one of her and Arakawa's favourite passages.

 

"Twenty years ago, the Friend of Men (preaching to the deaf) described the Limousin Peasants as wearing a pain stricken (souffre-douleur) look, a look past complaint, 'as if the oppression of the great were like the hail and thunder, a thing irredeemable, the ordinance of Nature' (Fils Adoptif, Memories de Mirabeau, i. 364-94). And now, if in some great hour, the shock of a falling Bastille should awaken you; and it were found to be the ordinance of Art merely; and remediable, reversible!"

 

From Thomas Carlyle: The French Revolution (1837)

 

 

A&G have always had a hold of something special in their rebellion against death, and it was something implicitly embodied in their work. I am not able to say it but I can feel it. Even if we cannot say it clearly, we can carry an implicitly meaningful feeling with us, sometimes for years, till it opens further. This something special must not get lost. --Gene Gendlin

I have just read the terrible news and would like to send Madeline all my love and sympathy. Words fail. Pain and sadness are below the mark. I had been meaning to write about publishing prospects and changes to be made before turning in the volume of HKOA to Arthur Cohen, whom I met recently (May 6th) and who told me how much he admired Arakawa and wanted to publish the volume, no matter what. On my agenda is a conference tomorrow in Lille where I'll be speaking of "Critical Beach" -- "critical" has just taken on a new color. Am sending my love. Marie-Dominique

I feel very sad to hear about your loss. His pass away is one of the biggest loss in art, architecture and philosophy for Japanese and world people. Arakawa's passing away must influence my writing invisibly. He signed on Guggenheim catalog for me, "Why not not" at ICC exhibition. I remembered it last night and will rethink now and then. I lost 4 art related people closer to me including Keiji Nakamura sensei in Japan, 2003 to 05, and now Arakawa in NYC. It means that I have been getting older....but very very sad. I wanted to see Arakawa san one more time. Kei Kamikanda

Dear Madeline, I have just come back from London to hear the terrible news--I feel devastated, revolted by something that looks like pure injustice. I loved Arakawa, and he will not die, ever, in me. Love, Jean-Michel

Dear Madeline, We are so sorry to hear about Arakawa. But strange enough, I still feel like that he is alive and suddenly send us a letter by fax. Now I think that your collaboration made us possible to get married, because without my collaboration with you and Arakawa, Fumi and I would never met in NYC. For us, to meet you and Arakawa has reversed our destiny and now Fumi is expecting twins. The due date is Oct.20th. Sincerely yours, Koichi and Fumi

Dear Madeline Please accept my sincere condolences. I will always regret that I never had the chance to meet Arakawa. You are in my thoughts. Thomas Daniell

Dear Madeline, Very sorry to read today of Arakawa’s passing. I know that you will continue working with amazing energy & vision to fulfill the greatest project that you & Arakawa have been working on: to assist us all in moving beyond mortality as a necessary part of the human condition. Much love to you, Hank

Dear Madeline, I cannot tell you how sorry I was to see today the news of Arakawa's death. I thought of him always as one of the great, free, creative spirits of our time, someone whose joy of invention and intelligence was a powerful force in the world. I know that you must feel the loss in the most painful way, but I know also that you will carry on in the same spirit, as he would have insisted. With warmest wishes, Miles

Dear Madeline, I was shocked to learn that Arakawa has passed away; my heart goes out to you at this trying and sad moment -- Arakawa's creative and intellectual stamina and his eagerness to pry into unknown territories of human existence will never be forgotten! With love and appreciation, Klaus

We just learned the news - and what bad news indeed ! As you once said," that mortality thing is bad news "... All our thoughts are with you - and with Arakawa. We'll miss him. I'll call when I come to NYC this autumn. Take care of yourself and keep on working for "reversible destiny". Love, Joan

Dear Madeline, Such a wonderful example of understanding generosity dedication talent harmony joy depth beauty love you both are. My heart is with you. Solange

Last night at 3:30am I woke up and wrote this note in my notebook: “Dear Arakawa, Alms to the Buddha for all. Yakuo Tokuken wrote on the day he died, June 19, 1320. "My six and seventy years are through. I was not born. I am not dead .... clouds floating on the high wide skies. The moon curves through its million- mile course." Steven Holl

I have in my mind many memories of an immensely warm, kind and brilliant man. He will be greatly missed. Please accept our sincerest sympathies and condolences. With affection, Nick and Toni

Yesterday, I visited ABRF at Mitaka and spent time with Momoyo, Matsuda-san and Oka-san in the Reversible Destiny lofts. I lay on the floor and took a nap in the cubic study. As usual, the reversible destiny environments gently interacted with my genotypical memories and I felt quite at ease and encouraged: ARAKAWA is there and wants all of us to act aggressively. Sincerely yours, Kimiaki Kumon Tokumaru

Outgrowing Our Inner Houses By Seeing Them From Inside Out Together The new movie, The Secret In Their Eyes, makes a strong statement about what our houses are founded on. To provide a new foundation centering on mutual well being would be an invaluable enterprise. I would like to lead people interested in Arakawa and Gins work in sharing The House Image which is the cornerstone or fulcrum of Image Psychology. Seeing and sharing the houses they see in their mind’s eyes through eidetic empathy imaging will let people see how to unfold the manifold experience of this deep, universal, structure in consciousness, and grasp from inside out the dramatic meanings of spatial relationships, and how debilitating relationships can be outgrown.

I have not felt this deeply sad since my father died in 1971. (I had only heard that Arakawa was ill a few days ago and then this awful shock - I had been spending time on preparing, and on trying to improve, some materials to send to you both on topology and on possibly working on an urban design competition together...) You must know that Arakawa has not only been in my mind ever since I first met him and you, but that he also dwelled in my heart - and he will be there in the future (and for me this is still the way to go for how to-not-to-die). (In his case, that over-used phrase "much- loved" can be said and it rings entirely true...) For he was not only a most courageous and incorruptible artist and thinker but also a great human being - he was easily the most genuinely generous spirit I have known, respectful of the greatest fools and ready to help. Each one of the times that we all spent together in discussion was very special and the glow of his presence will continue - but shot- through with this heavy feeling that I have lost one of the most important persons in my life.

Arakawa and your unwavering insistence on not accepting mortality already put a spotlight on the issue of dying in a way which no other philosopher I know of did, or could have done within his or her discourses. There are plenty of discourses on death, but none which reveal its paradoxes as forcefully and undeniably as yours. And none other which employs open, flat-out refusal of death to make the issue of life and death bubble to to the surface as vigorously and strangely as yours does. That is an enormous achievement. It is _the_ original architectural procedure, and it transforms entire landscapes in the broadest sense of the word. So I don't want to say too much about this event. It stands on its own as a profound mystery and puzzle. It is far too personal to you also, and its message will speak to you first and most forcefully. It is _your_ voice which I want to hear, once things have settle down (can they?) again, or before hand, so that you will find the words for this event, and I will listen to them.

je ne parlerais pas anglais on pleure dans sa langue natale

Dear Madeline,
The death of Arakawa came as a shock—a terrible loss. My friendship with you both, my engagement with your joint project, and the essays I wrote on you stretched my mind like nothing before or since, and carried me to a new place. Arakawa opened up ways of thinking and perceiving that changed me forever.

As to the topic of continuing and developing our varied discussions, I would suggest a stage of continued, but more focused, discussions. My thought is that those discussions could then coalesce into more manageable groups that might meet in the manner Alan was suggesting during the chat today. I was hoping for something more akin to a discussion forum or google wave rather than an listserv, though. However, these live discussions are also useful. Cross-pollination is a necessary part of working with(in) Reversible Destiny, so I'm not suggesting that we all scamper off to our comfortable specialist corners. AG4?

Perceive subtlety of conceptual eternity implied by the expression "Reversible Destiny" so much will continue to develop in this field... The force of WILL is inherent, while not beyond control more a matter of Changing Chance_ Achieved through anchoring + exploration but not within immediate grasp_ rather physical understanding grown by ramifications & c.

_+*

 

 

 

I will try to see if I can float over to where Arakawa is. He is at eye level, always. Donald G.

Dear Madeline, Sending you the very warmest and kindest thoughts. It was always an incredible joy and honor to spend time with you and Arakawa. Time has crept, a sneakthief, obscuring the escape lines. Where is the bridge between that beauty of time emerging irreversible, and the other beauty of will and mind that chooses to reverse any and everything, to create timeless play, turning? For me that is 'reversible destiny'- the place where the lines of time simple and time complex are tied and where all times can 'convert' each other. Thank you both for daring to constantly, joyfully reiterate this thought. _____ I think of Arakawa and I think of the journey: 'For me there is only traveling on the paths that have a heart. On any path that may have a heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge for me is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly!'

Dear Madeline, Sending you the very warmest and kindest thoughts. It was always an incredible joy and honor to spend time with you and Arakawa. Time has crept, a sneakthief, obscuring the escape lines. Where is the bridge between that beauty of time emerging irreversible, and the other beauty of will and mind that chooses to reverse any and everything, to create timeless play, turning? For me that is 'reversible destiny'- the place where the lines of time simple and time complex are tied and where all times can 'convert' each other. Thank you both for daring to constantly, joyfully reiterate this thought. _____ I think of Arakawa and I think of the journey: 'For me there is only traveling on the paths that have a heart. On any path that may have a heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge for me is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly!' Yours, Ed Keller

The LIVE CHAT for ARAKAWA was a remarkable event. I went back through and read the transcript because I had missed much. I went through and picked out everything that sounded like it was making or commenting on a concrete proposal . Answer-pieces gathered for Madeline) . Everyone who took part, or will, should read through it. Take a proposal and make the next step. See what you see emerging in here and help it to. A quick INVENT-ORY posted here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ATIV3oV4iL9RZGZiNXdoNm5fM2NjOGpxNTl4&hl=en / fond comradery, Alan

Shall we convene a wake for Arakawa? 

I went to Helen Keller or Arakawa and opened up to a random page. To my surprise and delight, the word 'aporia' was on it. It was page 61. Apparently '61 was the year Arakawa came to the US, and perhaps when he and Madeline met (became an 'us')? This is the chapter called 'Don't Take Me Literally', which begins with the quote "I wonder whether this will be used as an epigraph". Nice. I thought: an epigraph, not an epitaph. From that page, i can see two maybes: perduring and unmonumentalising But maybe the title should be not a word, but a sentence. I have been stewing on it, trying to find something more, but haven't and thought it best to pass these thoughts on, and see if it sparks something. Love to all Pia