Exhibiting Mexico`s architectural greatness

With Seoul being designated the World Design Capital for next year; it`s good to see what other architectural greats have contributed to the aesthetic pleasures in their own countries.

One such example of an architectural great is Mexico`s most influential 20th century architect, Luis Barragan, who is famous for his mastery of space and light by reinventing international style as a colorful, sensuous genre of Mexican modernism.

To explore his legacy without having to fly to Mexico, the embassy has organized an exhibition which explores Barragan`s creations under the national and international cultural setting of his time.

"Barragan is a must see reference, a creator who contributed to forge the appearance and identity of Mexico," said the Mexican Embassy`s Charge d`Affaires Mauricio Torres Cordova.

The collection is composed of around 100 pieces, including original paintings and sculptures, photographs, videos, blueprints, and other documents.



To accompany the event the embassy has also arranged for the curator of the exhibition to give a seminar about Barragan, from his early projects built in the late 1920s up to his creations in the 1980s including his unrealized projects.

The aim of the seminar is to compare and contrast his production in relation to the development of modern architecture in Mexico and the world of other architects. The seminar will be held in English and takes place at 3 p.m. today at Chung-Ang University.

During his stay in Europe between 1924 and 1926, Barragan discovered what would become his early influences: the International Style movement, the Alhambra of Granada and Greek contemporary architecture.

Later on, he attended conferences from Le Corbusier and met Ferdinand Bac, creators that profoundly impacted his work.

In Mexico, Barragan worked closely with artists Mathias Goeritz, Chucho Reyes and Pedro Coronel. He was also influenced by the work of Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and Gerardo Murillo.

Through its original paintings and sculptures, photographs, videos, blueprints, models and other documents, the exhibition, in perspective depicts Barragan`s technique, as well as his distinctive architectonic features: the absolute respect for landscapes, the surprising combination between nature and men, as well as the synthesis of universal functionality embedded in traditional Mexican architecture.

The Barragan House, the Guilardi House, and El Pedregal, among others, are perhaps the most well-known works of this important architect.

The exhibition runs at the Seoul Art Center Gongpyeong Gallery, from Friday until Dec. 4.

Barragan worked for years with little acknowledgement or praise until 1975 when he was honored with a retrospective at New York`s Museum of Modern Art.

In 1980, he became the second winner of the Pritzker Prize. His house and studio, built in 1948 in Mexico City, were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004.

For more information contact the embassy at (02) 798-1694.

(yoav@heraldm.com)



By Yoav Cerralbo