MARIIA SHAPOVALOVA 2019-20 YEAR 2

Phototrophia, or: The Gallery of Reappropriated Light

A photography gallery capturing and exhibiting Chicago’s cultural identity. Exhibition spaces interlink with immersive spaces animated by sunlight carefully modulated by the multi-layered building envelope, casting a dialogue between visitors, exhibits, and artists in residency.

Being a young city, most of Chicago’s history can be documented through photograph. The gallery acknowledges the shared past of Chicagoans through photographic display, but also seeks to support contemporary cultural identity through intertwined residency studios for art production. Carved by sunlight, the form of the building is constructed from sheet aluminium, melted bioplastics, and cast glass that choreograph light conditions throughout the day. Artists in residency embed their work within this architectural scaffold, which defies the restrictions of a completed design, becoming itself a canvas for the city.

Tutors: Greg Storrar, Farlie Reynolds