Non-Structures by Francisco Ibáñez
The series ‘Non-Structures’ 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.
Using similar parameters of light, composition and scale, these non-structures appear 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, the photographs aim to unveil their unexpected and sculptural morphology, documenting the constant tension that exists with their surroundings. Can these non-structures be considered involuntary works of art?
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.
