Mexican architecture in focus in exhibit
Published: 16 Nov. 2009, 21:16
The exhibition Luis Barragan in Perspective opened at the Gongpyeong Gallery on Thursday with a ceremony attended by gallery director Shin Yong-chul, left; curator Daniel Garza Usabiaga, center; and Mauricio Torres-Cordova, charge d’affaires of the Mexican Embassy in Seoul. By Park Sun-young
In that sense, the exhibition on Mexican architect Luis Barragan (1902-1988), which opened last Thursday in Seoul, is significant. Barragan is considered one of the greatest Mexican architects of the 20th century and he is the only architect from his country to have won the Pritzker prize, which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
“The Luis Barragan exhibition is even more meaningful in that it is the first time that a Mexican architect has been featured in an exhibition here in Korea,” said Mauricio Torres-Cordova, charge d’affaires at the Mexican Embassy in Seoul.
“Luis Barragan’s architectural style is modern, yet traditional at the same time,” said Daniel Garza Usabiaga, the curator of the exhibition, who was in town to attend the opening last Thursday. “A Mexican poet once said that Barragan transformed Mexican traditions into something modern.”
The exhibition, which explores the architect’s legacy within the context of the national and international cultural setting of the period in which he worked (from the late 1920s to the late 1970s), is composed of around 100 original pieces. These include paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, blueprints and other documents by the artist. It also features works by his collaborators, including Mathias Goeritz.
When Barragan designed a building, he not only plotted the exterior, he also worked on the interior as well, selecting details from the carpet to the wall hangings and the furniture, Usabiaga said. In the process, he often drew upon the advice of friends and fellow artists.
“The exhibition would not be possible without Barragan’s former friends and fellow artists, who offered anything related to him that they had kept,” the curator said. “All the materials featured in this exhibition came from them, while Barragan’s archives are currently owned by a private collector in Italy.”
The exhibition features videos that show some of the houses and buildings Barragan designed. Among them is one featuring the architect’s house, which was built in 1948 in Mexico City. It was listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2004.
“Barragan’s designs were mainly for houses and gardens, which he considered to be havens where people could get away from hectic urban life and reflect on themselves,” the curator noted. “So in his works you can see his great interest in nature and landscapes as well as his distinctive style of combining nature and human beings.”
Torres-Cordova said the Barragan exhibition is also timely considering that construction of Casa del Agua (meaning “house of water”) by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta is currently underway on the island of Jeju. When complete, the facility will consist of residential units and hotel guest rooms.
“Legorreta is continuing Barragan’s legacy. He carries Barragan’s ideas to a wider audience by applying his predecessor’s principles to bigger projects like hotels and commercial buildings, whereas Barragan focused on domestic architecture,” Usabiaga said.
“I hope this exhibition on Barragan will give the Korean public a better idea of what Mexican art and culture has to offer,” the curator said. “And it would be great to have Korean artists and exhibitions come to Mexico because I think that culture is universal and also a way for us to remedy a lot of the ills of our present culture worldwide.”
The Luis Barragan in Perspective exhibition will continue at the Seoul Art Center’s Gongpyeong Gallery until Dec. 4. For more information, visit http://seoulartcenter.or.kr.
By Park Sun-young [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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