Photographic journey brings Europe to Natural Beauty

Understanding how architecture rationality interacts with the world and how it can be understood by everyone is one of the principles of the exhibition Natural Beauty. Tatiana Macedo’s aim around Europe was to look at the details that form it and understand the compositions from which it is sustained and built.

Tatiana Macedo’s photographic journey began in Spain, in the city of Matarraña, with the capture of Solo House, by Office KGDVS. The artist’s itinerary continued in France, more precisely in the city of Marseille with the Unité d’Habitation of Le Corbusier, followed by a tour around Toulouse, Arles, Floirac, Nantes and Paris, to photograph the character of essential buildings, ranging from classical to contemporary: the Jacobins Church; Hôtel de Ville d’Arles, by Jules Hardouin-Mansart; Maison à Bordeaux of O.M.A. atelier; Nantes School of Architecture, by Lacaton & Vassal (winners of the Triennale 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award); the Sainte-Geneviève Library, by Henri Labrouste; the Jena Palace, by Auguste Perret; Tour Croulebarbe, by Edouard Albert and the Cartier Foundation, by Jean Nouvel. Tatiana Macedo flew to Italy to photograph the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church (Milan), by Donato Bramante, and in Pojana Maggiore, the Pojana Villa by Andrea Palladio. She finished the this first itinerance in Bregaglia (Switzerland) with the Extension and Renovation of Villa Garbald, by Miller & Maranta.

In a second period of time, Tatiana Macedo photographed in four distinct territories: in Brno (Czech Republic), the world-recognized Vila Tugendhat, by the renowned Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), the Kunsthal Museum of the O.M.A. which also works as a cultural centre; in Gent (Belgium), Les Ballets C de la B and LOD by Vylder Vinck Taillieu’s architects (aDVVT) and, finally, in Malmo (Sweden), the brutalist work Flower Shop, by Sigurd Lewerentz.
A month and nine countries after, the Lisbon artist returns with photographs from unique architecture buildings, for the Natural Beauty exhibition and publication.

The renovated Sinel de Cordes Palace welcomes a collection of photographs of this architectural journey through fourteen European cities, accompanied by axonometries, selected student projects from the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Universities Award Competition.
Curated by Laurent Esmiliare and Tristan Chadney, Natural Beauty opens on Saturday, 5 of October, highlighting an exemplary genealogy of major architectural works, which explores an intelligible beauty by looking at constructive rationality.