APPROPRIATE BARRAGÁN - Photograph Exhibition
APPROPRIATE BARRAGÁN - Photograph exhibition from a workshop led by Bas Princen
29.09.2023 - 07.04.2024, Barragán Gallery, Vitra Schaudepot, Weil-am-Rhein
As part of a partnership formed in 2022 between the Vitra Design Museum and the Barragan Foundation, the archive of Mexican architect Luis Barragán (1902-1988) was transferred to new premises at the Vitra Schaudepot. This move was accompanied by the creation of the Barragán Gallery, a public exhibition space that offers insights into the architect’s life and work. From September 29, 2023, to April 7, 2024, a new presentation at the gallery showcases photographs made by students from the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève) and the CENTRO School of Design, Film, and Digital Media in Mexico City. The images were produced as part of the joint workshop "Appropriate Barragán" led by photographer Bas Princen.
Luis Barragán’s architecture has gained wide renown due in no small part to the circulation of a limited number of carefully selected photographs. These photographs, realized by Armando Salas Portugal in close collaboration with the architect, have created a particular perception of Barragán’s work. They attach a distinctive aura to Barragán’s spaces and contribute to their iconic status by emphasizing characteristics such as light, color, and form. One could even postulate that Barragán designed spaces with the eyes of his photographer in mind.
The workshop "Appropriate Barragán," led by Bas Princen in the summer of 2022, brought together design students from HEAD – Genève and CENTRO Mexico City in a joint project to experience, analyze, and interpret major architectural works by Luis Barragán through the medium of photography. They captured some unexpected views of two well-known buildings, the Barragán House and the Prieto López House (also known as Casa Pedregal), producing distinctive visual impressions of intimacy, space, lighting, architectural details, and traces of habitation.
Research for the trip commenced with a visit to the Barragán Gallery in Weil am Rhein, along with an introduction to the architect’s collection of photographs, which is preserved in the Barragán Archive. At the conclusion of the workshop in Mexico City, the students collectively created a unified presentation of their studies, with each student proposing a selection of images to be displayed in specific dimensions. This setting is replicated in the exhibition of the respective works in the Barragán Gallery.
This exhibition is part of the initiative to open the Barragán Archive for research and collaborations, which will be continued in the coming years.
