Where the facade bends

Where the facade bends is a critical examination of "the perfect place" and "perfect citizen" representations, showing how the current narrative of an idealised future shape the collective imagination.

Architectural renders are highly realistic representations of places that don't exist yet. These images stand halfway between an imaginary world and a future that will physically materialise. They play a role at several moments of the development of a place, whether it be for advertising to potential investors, communication to convince the public, or for creating a marketable image and storytelling. Where the facade bends explores the peculiar idea of paradise and hyper-perfection embedded in these performative representations. A vision of perfection which is not neutral, but fuelled by consumerist and capitalist norms, and which impacts spaces and beings.
This work plays with these "neither real nor imaginary" places and the norms they maintain. Cuts-out of architectural renders are used to reassemble a new space, stage for a video journey through the backsides, absurdities and ruptures of such smooth surfaces.

Where the facade bends has been presented in various occasions, including Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven), Museumnight (Stroom Den Haag), Roots Festival (Filmhuis Den Haag) and Correctionville (Cartopology institute, Vaals).

This project followed the master thesis Accelerated rhythms in the city — on efficiency, repetitions and collective intervals, written in 2021. This research delves into city rhythms, and how they are framed by dynamics of profitability, efficiency, smoothness and predictability. It is available on request.