Following Clare Kenny’s Inside Edge Outside Space, Bureau presents its second exhibition at its new Spinningfields location, The Utopian Buck Stops Here: a collection of architectural works from Matthew Denniss and Matthew Houlding (pictured: Sons of Pioneers) exploring the notion of utopia. Denniss’ work comes in the form of two films exposing the hope, failure and dissent of the Modernist dream. The first, entitled Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative, is a performance-based piece in which he depicts eccentric architect Buckminster Fuller, building and then destroying his famous geodesic dome to embody this idea of hope and failure. The second presents footage of the building of Brazil’s capital city between 1956 and 1960 into a Utopia, with narration from late art critic Robert Hughes’ The Shock of the New. For Houlding, the approach draws on more positive historical influences, presenting vibrant sculptures inspired by African culture to pay homage to modern architecture. Made up of contrasting geometric shapes and a range of materials, his sculptures exhibit the experience of architecture and space. Together, their works create a tie between the past, present and future of Modernist architecture.
Fri 10 May – Fri 21 Jun, Bureau, 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, M3 3EB. Tel: 07757 956555. Launch tonight only: 6pm-8pm then Mon – Fri 8am-6pm, FREE, www.bureaugallery.com
- Words:
- Hannah Phillips
- Published on:
- Fri 10 May 2013
