Rut Blees Luxemburg
"The Essence of Architecture"

Exhibition: 7 March – 11 April, 2024
Opening: Thursday, 7 March, 7pm

Artist talk: Friday, 8 March, 7pm
Rut Blees Luxemburg and Tobias Zielony in conversation

The Essence of Architecture is inspired by the writings of the philosopher Alexander García Düttmann:

What is this? This is the essence of architecture, revealed to the eye of a gentle donkey. In an unlucky strike – it is all the photographer’s fault – the eye morphs into a glaringly dead pupil reproduced on a cigarette box. But why is this the essence of architecture? Because the architect pulls himself together and makes it pile up. She places layer upon layer, creates a solid column that will carry the building, stand on its own or in a row with other columns. At the same time, she lets go, allows it all to spread out in a stony cataract. The essence of architecture is the sphincter. But why is the essence of architecture revealed to the eye of a donkey? Because the donkey, unburdened and receptive, willing to capture and be captured, crosses the yard with elegance and alacrity. Its image vanishes into the concrete surface of a tiny memorial. Shit happens. The stable collapses. Will the zinc-coated watering can be used for a shower in the golden night? Text: Alexander García Düttmann

Rut Blees Luxemburg’s work as an artist and photographer concerns the representation of the city and the phenomenon of the urban, combining formats from large-scale photographic work. She is a Senior Research Fellow and Reader in Urban Aesthetics at the Royal College of Art in London.

Rut Blees Luxemburg studied Political Science in Duisburg, Germany, before attending the London College of Printing to complete her BA in Photography in 1993. She graduated with an MA in Photography from the University of Westminster in 1996.

Her first monograph, London – A Modern Project, appeared in 1997 and included an essay by Michael Bracewell; it was followed by Liebeslied/My Suicides, with text by Alexander Garcia Düttmann in 2000. In 2004, the photobook, ffolly, with texts by Cerith Wyn Evans, Patrick Lynch, Douglas Park, was published by ffotoworks. The most comprehensive monograph on her work, Commonsensual, was published by Black Dog in 2009 and includes a critical essay by Regis Durand. In 2012, the Museum Simeonstift in Trier, Germany held a survey show of her work, Lustgarten.

Recent projects include: Silver Forest (2016) an architectural installation on the western façade of Westminster City Hall; and London Dust (2011–13) a series of photographs and a film that trace the rapid architectural transformation of the City of London in relation to the development of CGI photographic representation.

More information: https://www.rutbleesluxemburg.com