In his latest exhibition, Paul Clemence photo-artist Highlights the Architectural Artistry of Swiss Museums and Their relevance on the Contemporary Architectural Scene.
Project Name: Shapes, Rhythm, Abstraction Swiss Museums
Studio Name: Paul Clemence
Photographer Paul Clemence in front of his photos at Le Salon Suisse, Miami Art Week – image courtesy of the artist
Through his abstract eyes, in the exhibit “SHAPES, RHYTHM, ABSTRACTION: Swiss Museums” photographer Paul Clemence take us on a poetic journey through museums in Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Zurich, and St. Gallen. Focusing on textures, patterns, shapes, and light, the photo essay featured a diverse mix of projects by architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Mario Botta, Christ & Gantenbein, Renzo Piano, Aires Mateus, Barozzi Veiga and Shigeru Ban, David Chipperfield Architects, Graber Pulver among others.
“This exhibit has a full circle feeling for me since I had been photographing Swiss museums for the last 10 years, crisscrossing the country capturing these amazing structures!” said Clemence. “It was a very inspiring journey, and I wanted this essay to convey the variety of architectural approaches and concepts I found.”
Co-curated by Clemence himself and Divine Bonga, curator and producer of Le Salon Suisse, the photos selected for the exhibit focused mostly on external shots of the museums, be it a defining texture, a signature façade geometry, or a special light moment. Altogether, the ensemble highlighted the subliminal power of the architectural object to engage the public.
“What a building looks like from the outside is very important. It’s the first impression. And of course, more people will “see” a museum than actually go inside. A museum façade then has an important role. Like a book cover, it’s an opportunity to both make a statement and an invitation to delve inside,” commented Paul Clemence.
In line with Clemence’s renown for working with unexpected and innovative printing materials, the black and white portfolio was printed directly on brushed aluminum. “The texture of the aluminum adds an interesting materiality to the images; it both enhances the architectonic character of the photos but also rendered them with a certain rough poetic edge,” remarked Clemence.
The exhibit had its debut viewing on Dec. 6 during Art Basel Miami Beach week as part of Le Salon Suisse, a salon-style art retreat taking place in Miami Beach during Miami Art Week, and then will travel to New York City in Spring 2024.
Parallel to the exhibit at Le Salon Suisse, Clemence also conducted a chat on museum architecture with architect Emanuel Christ (partner at Christ & Gantenbein Architects), Andy Klemmer (president of Paratus Group), and Donna de Salvo (Special Project Curator at Dia Art Foundation).
