Exhibition: MODERN FORMS - A Subjective Atlas of 20th-Century Architecture

At once a reference work and a personal exploration of modernist architecture, this fascinating collection of Nicolas Grospierre’s photographs covers structures built between 1920 and 1989 in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Asia. These images are derived from Grospierre’s popular blog, A Subjective Atlas of Modern Architecture - an ongoing project which records an extensive range of buildings, such as the iconic Gateway Arch in Saint Louis and the Ukrainian Institute of Scientific Research and Development in Kiev, to little-known structures such as the Balneological Hospital in Druskininkai or Oscar Niemeyer’s unfinished International Fair Grounds in Tripoli.

This exhibition presents modernist architecture as the embodiment of political and social ideologies, particularly through its use by institutions such as banks, churches, libraries and government buildings. While many of the buildings in this archive often go unrecognized, their forms are prominent in the landscape of modern civilization. Alongside the images, which are organised by architectural form only, an index details the location, date, architect and purpose of each building. Grospierre’s keen eye and enthusiasm for the mundane as well as the sublime will motivate viewers to look at the buildings around them and to classify them in new ways.

Nicolas Grospierre was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale for his joint exhibition in the Polish Pavilion with Kobas Laksa. His photographs are exhibited in major cities around the world. A publication accompanies the exhibition and is published by Prestel.

Curated by Alona Pardo and Elias Redstone with AA Exhibitions.