'Non-Structures' by Francisco Ibáñez Hantke

About

This exhibition of Francisco Ibáñez Hantke's ‘Non-Structures’ photographic series presents London - and cities in general - as a spectacle of constant conflict, negotiation and flux. Capturing key moments in the life of diverse buildings, the images reveal a condition of transience, trapped as these buildings and sites are between the boundaries of architecture and ruin, planning and chance, process and product. The term ‘Non-Structures' alludes to anthropologist Marc Augé’s influential work ’Non-Places’; this boundary condition, defined by an absence of identity, has lent its name to the series and to the exhibition. This show is proud to be a part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture, at Velorose.

Using similar parameters of light, composition and scale, Ibáñez reveals these 'non-structures’ to be frozen in a specific time and context, as dysfunctional devices that question collectively the processes of change and the impermanence of the city. From the demolition of iconic buildings such as Robin Hood Gardens to various transformations of anonymous buildings in London, Ibáñez's photographs unveil the unexpected and sculptural morphology of these 'non-structures', while simultaneously documenting the constant tension that exists with their surroundings.

The medium of photography has become a tool for Ibáñez, a trained architect working in the field of urban regeneration - and for the viewers of his work - that allows reflection in a critical manner about how we collectively manage and perceive the evolution of our built environment. Beyond visual documentation, this series of images initiates a dialogue concerned with what type of future we want for the places in which we live, work, and pass the time.

Furthermore, in staging this body of work as an exhibition, Ibáñez poses the question: Can these ‘non-structures’ be considered unintentional works of art?