Set in the galleries of the Canadian Centre for Architecture and curated by Bas Princen and Stefano Graziani, 'The Lives of Documents - Photography as Project' delves into the practice of over 30 artists and photographers.
The exhibition begins with the CCA archive and the experience of viewing works in an equal, systematic and investigative way. Similarly, drawing on the idea of the ‘Bürolandschaft’, in which an open-plan landscape of tables creates a horizontal datum and free circulation patterns, here tables are scattered throughout seven gallery rooms creating a continuous field between walls.
An organic, non-hierarchical display of artworks, test prints, books, and other documents, starts to develop kinships and dialogues between content, inviting visitors to a more intimate encounter with the works.
Bespoke lights are suspended above each table to create a second datum, which focuses attention on the documents and recreates the utilitarian nature of the archive. Along the floor, TV screens and stools can be found within this field, where viewers can follow interviews with the artists and better understand their projects.
- Location: Montreal
- Completion: 2023
- For: CCA Canadian Centre for Architecture
- Size: 477 m²
- Collaborators: Bas Princen and Stefano Graziani
- Photography: ©CCA