The personal art collection of eminent Mexican architect Luis Barragán is on display at his house in Mexico City.
Designed with the architect’s signature geometric style in mind, the temporary shelves used to display the pieces were created by local design studios Sala Hars and AGO Projects.
Called the Altar Shelf, the construction is a symmetrical, four-sided piece meant to display Barragán’s collection of paintings, statues and artifacts from all angles.
“Our intention was to create a setting that allows the viewer at all times, and from all angles, to see the pieces from sides that have never been accessible to the public, providing a new reading of the work as a constellation.”
Drawing on forms Barragán himself used in his work, the pyramidal Altar Shelf “pays subtle homage to the architect’s broad ideas and inspirations — from the famous floating stair to the religious imagery within the house.”
The curation of the pieces follows no particular order, contrasting with the rigid, geometrical formation of the display apparatus. Other paintings and sculptures are set along the walls surrounding the Altar Shelf.
Barragán was born in 1902 in Guadalajara. His work focused on bright, bold colors and their interplay with geometry and light. A devout Catholic, his beliefs are reflected in the religious imagery adorning his house.
He completed his home and studio in 1948, and in 1980 he was awarded architecture’s most coveted trophy, the Pritzker Prize. The home-studio has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.
It is just one of many structures the architect designed in Mexico City, along with the Casa Gilardi, with its walls of striking primary colors, the pastel pink Casa Prieto López and the gold-paneled chapel at the Capuchinas Sacramentarias convent.
The installation is part of an exhibition called Emissaries for Things Abandoned by Gods, which features work by contemporary artists from all over the world in other rooms of the house. It began in September and runs until December 15.
The house is located at Gral. Francisco Ramírez 12-14, Ampliación Daniel Garza.
Source: Dezeen (en)
