The sudden death of architect Dame Zaha Hadid last Thursday in Miami has been a shock. At the hight of her career, honoured with several awards, including the RIBA Gold Medal in the beginning of this year, she was a pioneering force in a male-dominated profession, occupying a global position as one of the most influential female figures in contemporary culture.
Miami had become Zaha Hadid’s second hometown, a stopover in her busy travel and work schedule. The tropical climate and beautiful light brought out the best in her flamboyant designs. Zaha was the favourite artist of local collector, property developer and Design Miami patron Craig Robins. She was often referred to by her first name, like royalty. Read more
Every year Arcaid Images presents an award to the architectural photographer whose winning image of the built environment exceeds in both photographic and architectural merit. This year the overall winner was Portuguese photographer Fernando Guerra, with his stunning image of the EPFL Quartier Nord in Ecublens, Switzerland.
Upon first glance, the awarded image compels not only in terms of linear composition and dynamic use of light, but particularly due to the human element that instils the building with a sense of life. In an interview while driving from his hometown Lisbon to do a shoot in Fátima, Fernando Guerra sheds some light onto his working methods.
Guerra’s interest in photography stems from a young age, picking up his first camera as a 16 year old. Unsure of his artistic voice, young Guerra shot everything around him in an effort to find exactly what interested him in the surrounding world. He eventually trained as an architect and whilst working in Macao for 5 years, Guerra became increasingly enchanted with documenting street life. It is easy to see the influence of his early passion for street photography when looking at his winning Arcaid image, blending the rigidity and grandeur of traditional architectural images with the pulse and humanity found on the street. Indeed, Guerra believes his own style to be a sort of hybrid between certain elements of architectural and street photography, emerging out of the conceptual problems he encountered during his architectural education.Read more
Big gestures from powerful patrons shaping cities and tastes
2015 was a year of big gestures in the the global game of arts patronage. On an ever grander scale the urban space was shaped by private commissions from leading architects: in May Fondazione Prada, designed by Rem Koolhaas, opened in Milan; in June Garage Museum, also by Koolhaas, relaunched by Russian entrepreneur Dasha Zhukova in Moscow. Then the Broad in Downtown LA opened in September and Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London in October. Read more
Artworks and play with beautiful wood by Chinese artist, architect and activist Ai Weiwei exhibited in Helsinki at the renovated HAM Museum
Ai Weiwei’s freedom to travel was reinstated in the autumn and he was able to attend openings of his big European shows, first in London at the Royal Academy and then in Helsinki at the renovated HAM Museum. Two spaces with very different cultural connotations, something that Ai’s work also plays with. At the moment Ai is travelling around Italy and Greece, helping refugees as well as researching for a forthcoming exhibition in Florence on the meaning of Renaissance architecture.
‘Les femmes de la Maison Carré’ exhibition inside a late 1950s home by Alvar Aalto
Fine art photographer Elina Brotherus went to imagine life at Maison Louis Carré, the French art collectors home designed by Alvar Aalto. The series has been part of an exhibition at the house, which is now open for the public near Paris.
Last week 173 galleries from all continents had gathered for Paris Photo inside the great halls of the Grand Palais.
After Friday’s devastating attacks Paris Photo fair did not open for public anymore, as the city shut down in mourning. Openings elsewhere in Paris coincided with the fair and artists were present. Many of those shows will continue. The Grand Palais retrospective on French photographer Lucien Clergue, who was also the founder of the Arles photo festival, will be open until February next year.
On Thursday I spent the day exploring Paris Photo booths and saw vintage prints of magical mid-19th century landscapes as well as famous 60s and 70s fashion photographs. And then the most recent abstract, camera-less explorations, where the ephemeral subject is just light. Spanning 150 years, the fair is a fascinating overview of the human gaze and the framing of the world: buildings, nature, fashions, people.
