On the occasion of the opening of Analogue Sites, an exhibition on view beginning April 1 along Park Avenue in New York, join us at Scandinavia House for a discussion with artist, architect, and ASF Fellow Jorge Otero-Pailos and author David Peterson (US Embassies of the Cold War: The Architecture of Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense), and Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Assistant Dean at the Yale School of Architecture!

Eero Saarinen and his associates drew plans for many of the U.S.’ most recognizable foreign embassy buildings, namely the U.S. Embassies in London and Oslo. These sites warmly welcomed ordinary visitors to participate in cultural events and other public-facing programming. Today, many of these architectural gems have ceased to support American diplomatic operations, as the State Department’s needs have expanded. This lecture will explore the relationship between modern architecture and the Cold War, using Saarinen’s work as a lens. What has become of Saarinen’s design vision in 2024?

Analogue Sites is a public art exhibition featuring three sculptures created by Otero-Pailos while preserving the former U.S. Embassy in Oslo—a Saarinen-designed landmark—using materials from the fence that once surrounded the building. From April 1 through October 31, 2024, the sculptures will be on view along Park Avenue at East 53rd, East 66th and East 67th Streets in an installation presented by the Fund for Park Avenue Sculpture Committee in partnership with NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks Program, where they will create a dialogue with mid-century modernist landmarks and the Park Avenue Armory.

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