ZAHA HADID. Silver Paintings    Oct 22 - Nov 26, 2005

Zaha Hadid has consistently pushed the boundaries of architecture and urban design. Her work experiments with new spatial concepts, intensifying existing urban landscapes in the pursuit of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields of design; from the urban scale to products, interiors and furniture. Best known for her seminal built works (Vitra Fire Station, Bergisel Ski Jump, Strasbourg Tram Station, the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati) Zaha has recently added to her portfolio with the newly opened BMW Central Building in Leipzig, an extension to the Odrupgard museum in Copenhagen, and sensuous interiors for the Hotel Puerta America, in Madrid. Her central concerns are pushed through a simultaneous engagement in practice, teaching and research.

‘Silver Paintings’ showcases Hadid’s discipline in a new light and medium. The title of the series refers to the surface of the works, which in their raw state resemble polished metal or mirrors, an effect created with a polyester skin treated with chrome and gelatine and then di-bonded.

Initially, the images are digitally generated, then photographed in their virtual state. Once the images are printed they are hand-painted in a medium that complements the subject. This might be stained glass paint (which creates the transparent and cathedral like feel), acrylic and Chinese lacquer (Opaque and POP qualities) or UV resistant ink combined with Vinyl (highly reflective). These techniques combine to suggest a gradual intersection between reflectivity and opacity, from one architectural feature to the next.

The ‘Silver Paintings’ also act as a ‘real-time’ report, a page in the diary of Zaha Hadid's exquisite architecture as they are updated every time the design of a project changes and evolves.

14 paintings will be shown. Each work is 2000 x 900mm.

Zaha Hadid is currently expanding her presence in the UK with projects including the 2012 London Olympics Aquatic Centre, the Glasgow Riverside Museum of Transport, the London Headquarters for the Architectural Foundation, and a Maggies Cancer Centre in Fife, Scotland.

For press enquiries or further information please contact Simon Parris +44 (0)7789 348 584 / simon@rovetv.net

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