Event overview
MA Research Architecture exhibition and public platform
Curatorial Statement
Objectness is only a semblance, a seeming, a projection effect of interest in a thing we are trying to stabilize. – Lauren Berlant
By searching for reflections and refractions outside of (and perhaps far away from) the primary target of research, periscoping creates more spaces for research and ultimately fosters more ways of knowing. – Nancy Hiemstra
Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
Small translucent stickers on wing mirrors read: objects in mirror are closer than they appear. These mirrors cover a blind spot, but in doing so they distort the object. Depending on the type of lens, a mirrored image can be deceptive.
In this exhibition, the mirror does the work of reflecting and refracting the object under investigation, to examine the appearance–the “objectness”– of disparities, dislocations, containments, and material histories. We draw attention to the instability of those systems (institutions, laws, social relations, infrastructures) that present themselves as transhistorical and therefore natural. We reassemble the phrase to create three organising principles, which are:
Objects in margins are closer than they appear.
— These projects engage with the marginal, the borders, the boundaries.
Objects in mirror are more permanent than they appear.
— These projects engage with the appearance of structures that seem temporary but belong to longer histories of violence.
Objects in mirror are here.
— These projects project the future onto the present.
We draw on what Nancy Heimstra calls feminist periscoping—a methodology which, rather than looking directly at the object of investigation, moves around it. Like a periscope, which uses a mirror to observe objects which are out of sight, each research project focuses on reflections and refractions that are situated outside of the primary target of investigation.
But remember: the objects in mirror may be closer than they appear.
Students
Veronika Varga, Moza Almazrouei, Fine Bieler, Katarzyna Lukasik, Merve Anil, Rowena De Silva, Faye Harvey, Oliver Goldman, Claire August, Dafni Karavola, Adeeba Husain, Olivia Gresham, Jade Guinard
Acknowledgements
We would like to additionally thank the staff of the CRA: Susan Schuppli, Christina Varvia, Ifor Duncan, Thomas Percival, Leila Zimmermann, Ghalya Saadawi, Stafford Scott, Kamara Scott.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 2023 | 6:00pm - 9:00pm | |
| 29 Sep 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 30 Sep 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 1 Oct 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 2 Oct 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 3 Oct 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 4 Oct 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 5 Oct 2023 | 10:00am - 6:00pm | |
| 6 Oct 2023 | 10:00am - 4:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
