Madeline Gins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madeline Gins
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Madeline Gins in 2009
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| Born |
Madeline Helen Gins
November 7, 1941 New York City
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| Died | January 8, 2014 (aged 72) New York City
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| Known for | Artist, architect, poet |
Madeline Helen Arakawa Gins (born November 7, 1941 – died January 8, 2014) was a talented American artist, architect, and poet. She was known for her unique ideas about how buildings and spaces could help people live longer and healthier lives.
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Early Life and Education
Madeline Gins was born in New York City on November 7, 1941. She grew up on Long Island, in a village called Island Park. When she went to college, she studied interesting subjects like physics and Eastern philosophy at Barnard College.
Her Creative Career
Madeline Gins met her future husband, artist Shusaku Arakawa, in 1963. They were both studying painting at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. They became partners in both life and art.
One of their first big projects together was called "The Mechanism of Meaning." It was a collection of artworks that explored how we understand things. This entire project was shown at the Guggenheim Museum in 1997. The exhibition was titled Arakawa/Gins – Reversible Destiny/We Have Decided Not to Die.
The Reversible Destiny Foundation
In 1987, Madeline Gins and Arakawa started the Reversible Destiny Foundation. They created this foundation to help fund their special architectural projects. These projects were designed to explore how our surroundings could influence our health and lifespan.
The foundation worked with many different experts. These included scientists who study biology, the brain, and even quantum physics. They also worked with doctors.
Unique Architectural Projects
Madeline Gins and Arakawa designed and built many interesting places. Their projects included homes, parks, and even plans for entire neighborhoods.
Some of their famous architectural works include:
- Bioscleave House (Lifespan Extending Villa): A unique home in New York.
- Reversible Destiny Lofts (In memory of Helen Keller): Apartments located in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.
- Site of Reversible Destiny-Yoro: A park in Japan designed to challenge your balance and senses.
They also wrote books together, like Architectural Body and Making Dying Illegal. These books shared their ideas about how architecture could help people live longer.
Later Life and Passing
Shusaku Arakawa, Madeline Gins's husband and creative partner, passed away on March 18, 2010. Madeline Gins continued their work, determined to prove that "aging can be outlawed."
Madeline Gins herself passed away on January 8, 2014, at the age of 72. She died from cancer.
Architectural Works by Arakawa and Gins
Here are some of the special buildings and sites Madeline Gins and Arakawa created:
- UBIQUITOUS SITE, NAGI'S RYOANJI, Architectural Body (Nagi, Okayama, Japan, 1994, Nagi Museum Of Contemporary Art)
- Site of Reversible Destiny – Yoro Park (Yōrō, Gifu, Japan, 1995)
- Shidami Resource Recycling Model House (Nagoya, Japan, 2005)
- the Reversible Destiny Lofts MITAKA – In Memory of Helen Keller (Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan 2005)
- Bioscleave house – LIFESPAN EXTENDING VILLA (Northwest Harbor, East Hampton, Long Island, NY, 2008)
- Biotopological Scale-Juggling Escalator (NYC, 2013/Dover Street Market, New York, NY, Comme des Garçons)
