For the fifth edition of Unfolding the Archives, the Flanders Architecture Institute presents a selection of diapositives from its collection. Some 35,000 slides – depicting architectural practice in all its facets – were digitised as part of a special project in 2021. The interactive exhibition Diarama allows visitors to make their own changing slide collages.
Slide collection
Photographs are an integral part of the many architectural archives held by the Flanders Architecture Institute. Whilst these often take the form of prints, we receive just as many negatives and slides. These types of photographs are fragile, hard to handle and can only be consulted using gloves and a lightbox. Thanks to the recent digitisation project, a multitude of images from these hidden collections can now be accessed.
A view of the world
The images in Diarama show architectural practice in all its facets, as seen through the eyes of those in the field. Architects do much more than just design buildings. The images also form a record of field trips, for example. By looking at the world, architects broaden their horizons and translate these experiences into their work. Many images have a documentary aspect. They record construction processes, important events, or were utilised in lectures or restoration projects. Finally, the slides also explore artistic ambitions: with a conscious photographic eye, architects not only record their own work on film, but also that of fellow architects and artists.
To do justice to this diversity, Diarama presents images from a wide range of architectural archives:
- Architect Frans De Groodt (1912-2009) trained as an architect in the 1930s and later as an urban planner. He primarily focused on historical heritage and monument restoration. His slide collection documents the architectural travels that inspired his practice, teaching and engagement with professional associations. Series on specific regions and themes are also available.
- Architect Georges Baines (1925-2013) was an award-winning architect known for his work in the international modernist style and his restorations of modernist buildings. His slide collection documents his research trips, his oeuvre and interest in Le Corbusier. It also includes the images he used in his teaching assignments.
- Architect Lou Jansen (1935-2019) was an architect who, from the 1960s onwards, designed buildings in the late modernist style. His slide collection originated from his architectural practice, study trips and teaching activities.
- Architect Dries Jageneau (1949-1993) worked as an architect for the City of Antwerp and was an active member of both the Aktiegroep Oude Stad [Old City Action Group] and the Vrije Actiegroep Antwerpen [Free Antwerp Action Group]. A pioneer in the field of mobility in Belgium, his slide collection reflects his activities between 1970 and 1990.
- Architect Christian Kieckens (1951-2020) was an architect, dedicated teacher and a pacesetter in the artistic and cultural worlds. He helped lay the foundations for the rich architectural culture that we know in Belgium today. His slide collection documents his work- and research-related study trips.
Unfolding the Archives #5 Diarama is an interactive exhibition. The selection of slides was printed on a magnetic carrier and can easily be moved on the wall. Get to work yourself and put together your collage with the images that inspire you.
Project
No more lightboxes
The diapositive digitisation project is part of a larger initiative called Van de lichtbak af [No more lightboxes]. Thanks to a Flemish Government grant, the Flanders Architecture Institute is placing artificial intelligence under the microscope. How can we use computers to register and unlock large collections of digital images? And how do we give meaning to the labels assigned to the slides through image recognition software? The research is in full swing and will continue until February 2023.
Practical
- DATE:
23.06.2022-11.09.2022
- OPEN:
Open continuously
- ADMISSION:
free
- ACCESSIBILITY:
wheelchair accessible
- LOCATION:
De Singel (Expoplein)
- STREET:
Desguinlei 25
- POSTAL CODE:
2018
- CITY:
Antwerp
- ORGANISATION:
Flanders Architecture Institute and De Singel
Unfolding the Archives
In the Unfolding the Archives series, the Flanders Architecture Institute exhibits major pieces, hidden treasures and striking discoveries from its collection. It enriches contemporary architectural themes with a historical dimension, shows newly acquired archives to visitors for the first time, or elucidates prominent figures or moments from architectural history.