Artists employ in many different ways the wealth of meanings that architecture provides. They touch upon the architecture's role as our constant companion and the backdrop of everyday events. And they also turn it into a sophisticated tool of communication.
Architecture as Symbol
Janek Simon turns architectural objects into symbols in order to present his catastrophic visions. When painting the houses from his home village, Rafał Bujnowski draws on his childhood memories. Jiří Kolář turns his photographs of buildings into a metaphor of human destiny.
Architecture as Backdrop
Shinji Ogawa introduces modifications to familiar vistas, testing how observant his viewers are. Andreas Kaufmann removes garish advertisements from urban space, showing cityscape liberated from aesthetic pollution.
Architecture as Text
Wojciech Wilczyk immortalises industrial plants that are falling into decay. On the one hand, they give testimony to history, and on the other, encourage reflection on transience. With his projections, Krzysztof Wodiczko gives buildings human features and turns them into a tool for mediating communication between the excluded or disadvantaged and public opinion.
