We know, Dear Readers, that success in this sordid business is all about having friends in marginally elevated places—how do you think we landed this gig? And so it comes as no surprise to us that the kooky geniuses at MVRDV have just walked off with the $100K Marcus Prize for "emerging talent." In fact, we weren't even slightly appalled to find Aaron Betsky—director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute, overlord of this traveling exhibition, and co-author of this publication—on the jury. You say "massive conflict of interest"? We say "welcome to the real world, buckos." But don't tell the Marcus flacks. They claim their esteemed panel "deliberated for over seven hours before coming to a final selection." And we hear they didn't even take bathroom breaks.

Posted in Across the Pond