This text is part of the special booklet The summer of museums
This summer, the CCA is interested in the Argentinian architect Amancio williams and dissects the concept of photography in the light of the last 50 years through two enriching exhibitions.
Out of the frame. Amancio Williams
He is one of the most famous modern architects in Latin America to whom we owe, among other things, the House on the Stream (Casa sobre el Arroyo), in Mar del Plata, and the Resistencia airport. More than 30 years after his death, the Argentinian Amancio Williams is today the subject of the series of exhibitions out of the frame proposed by the Canadian Center for Architecture (CCA).
In order to make its many projects accessible to the public, the CCA has invited curators Claudia Shmidt, from Buenos Aires, Pezo von Ellrichshausen, from Concepción, and Studio Muoto, from Paris. Their various backgrounds, which include unique mastery of the practice and history of architecture, provide a fresh perspective on the work of Amancio Williams and his agency, which spans several decades, between the 1940s and 1980s. Remember that his designs are all the more interesting to observe today since he has always made it a point of honor to build a non-intrusive relationship between architecture and nature.
For out of the frame, Claudia Shmidt, Pezo von Ellrichshausen and Studio Muoto notably compiled very comprehensive archives, such as drawings, photographs, correspondence and models, which were donated to the CCA by the architect’s family in 2020. Each exhibitions in the series therefore proposes to apprehend the achievements of Amancio Williams with a contemporary vision that already resonated at the time. The social, environmental and political dimensions of the Argentinian constructions had, in fact, seduced Le Corbusier at the end of the 1940s, who had entrusted him with the supervision of the house of Doctor Curutchet in La Plata.
From June 22
The Lives of Documents – Photography as a Project
During the summer, the CCA also welcomes its visitors for the first stage of its long-term research trilogy — lasting six years, ie until its fiftieth anniversary! — devoted to the medium of photography. This exhibition comes at just the right time since since its founding in 1979, the CCA has been committed to redefining the role of photography in the field of architectural research organizations and collections.
Started at the beginning of the month, The Lives of Documents – Photography as a Project has, in fact, the mission of exploring its different functions, from works of art to documents and tools for investigating the architectural environment. This exhibition, overseen by Bas Princen and Stefano Graziani, was conceived as a documentary and brings together works from the CCA collection, which date from the 1970s to the present day, as well as new projects formed through books, models, publications , interviews and documents related to the inherent production of these works. It also aims to analyze the practice of artists and photographers who have participated in changes in the language of the discipline over the past fifty years thanks, in particular, to their appropriation of several key notions, such as those of landscape and the complexity of the archive. At a time when images generated by artificial intelligence raise questions, the exhibition promises to question our environment and what we see.
Until March 3, 2024
This content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, relating to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.