The "most radical" changes to civilisation come from the countryside rather than cities, according to architect Rem Koolhaas, who will explore the topic in a major exhibition opening at New York's Guggenheim Museum next week.
The architect and AMO, the research arm of his firm OMA, have produced the Countryside, The Future exhibit to spotlight rural areas, where Koolhaas says the biggest advancements are taking place.
"The countryside is now the site where the most radical, modern components of our civilisation are taking place," Koolhaas said.
"An exhibition like this wouldn't have been impossible 20 years ago."
Koolhaas made the comments in a short video that the Guggenheim Museum in New York released ahead of the opening of the showcase on 20 February. Forms culmination of years of countryside research
"New York is obviously a fantastic platform to launch a show which is about the absolute opposite of New York ? the space on the earth outside the city," Koolhaas continued.
Described by Dutch architect as "absurdly ambitious", it forms a culmination of years of research he has conducted into the rural areas.

In a 2013 video interview with Dezeen, he said OMA's focus had shifted away from "cliche" cities to non-urban areas. "Currently we are thinking about the countryside and what one could do in the countryside, and perhaps a new thinking about the countryside," he said at the time.
He later argued i...