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Who knew FEMA created cubist art?

When you think of cubist art, a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer probably isn’t what comes to mind. But New York artist Paul Villinski has turned one of the agency’s Hurricane Katrina–necessitated mobile homes into some beautiful geometry — with a beautiful purpose. Dubbed the Emergency Response Studio and on display just outside the Rice Gallery entrance through March 1, the completely overhauled trailer is living its second life as a temporary home for artists in the wake of natural disasters — whether they are displaced by the tragedy or simply interested in “embedding” in post-disaster settings. Powered by solar panels and a 40-foot-high wind turbine, the project is a study in sustainability — and in the kind of unconventional wisdom that’s anything but square.