From the Foundations to the Sky
Video HD 1080p, colour, stereo, pal, 16:9, 18′ 50” loop
This video is a narrative that combines a succession of paintings, designs and magazine covers by the Hungarian modernist artist Lajos Kassák and a reading of an excerpt from the novel by Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris : a chapter titled “this will kill that”.
Kassák was a painter, a graphic designer, a writer, and a poet, as well as a constructivist revolutionary. He was the founder of several avant-garde magazines that reflected on the utopian nature of architecture, revolution, society, urbanism, art and literature.
This text focuses on the relationship between architecture and the printing press developed by Johannes Gutenberg. Gutenberg pioneered a revolution that completely changed people’s access to culture. Victor Hugo in this text describes how the printed book became stronger and more durable than any building built by man. Thus the printed book would “kill” architecture as the main vehicle for perpetuating culture.
The common thread of these two worlds is an overlap of different views on architecture as a metaphor for the construction of a society. The distinct time frames of these two utopian visions point to contrasts, similarities and contradictions within the history of European culture.

Fine art print
72 x 54,5 cm

Photo: Edgar Pires

Plastic paint with sand on canvas
210 x 98cm
Installation view: Quadrum Gallery, Lisbon
Photo: Edgar Pires

Acrylic on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Acrylic on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Acrylic on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Acrylic on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Acrylic on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Fine art print
72 x 54,5 cm

Photo: Edgar Pires

Acrylic gesso on canvas
210 x 98cm
Installation view: Quadrum Gallery, Lisbon
Photo: Edgar Pires

Fine art print
72 x 54,5 cm

Indian Ink on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Indian Ink on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Indian Ink on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Indian Ink on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Indian Ink on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Indian Ink on paper
51 x 35,5cm

Photo: Edgar Pires

Photo: Edgar Pires

Photo: Edgar Pires