On 22 April, the North American conceptual artist and writer Jill Magid will take part in the Foros 2020 lecture series with a videoconference open to the public and entitled "The Proposal". Based on her first feature film of the same title (The Proposal, 2018), Magid will describe her "Barragán Archives” project that began in 2013 and in which she explores the legacy of architect Luis Barragán, the most famous Mexican architect, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1980. The film reflects on the fact that a private corporation, Vitra, hoarded his files and took control of the architect’s copyright, meaning that his work remained inaccessible to the public for more than 20 years. Magid aims to challenge the idea that one sole actor was able to have full control of Barragán’s legacy during all that time. 

"Almost like it were an invitation, it was well known that Barragán adjusted the design of buildings to ensure they could be photographed better. Through this film, I wanted to capture the overwhelming beauty of his work, while simultaneously questioning the legal challenges I had to face in order to do so," explained the filmmaker. 

Jill Magid’s work is deeply rooted in her lived experience, and involves exploring and erasing the boundaries between art and life. Through her artistic practice, Magid explores the emotional, philosophical and legal tension that exists between the individual and institutions or power structures. Her work has been exhibited in institutions all over the world, including the Tate Modern in London, the Whitney Museum in New York, and the Yvon Lambert Gallery in Paris. Magid is an associate professor at The Cooper Union and is the author of four novels. Her work forms part of collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Jumex Foundation, and the Walker Art Center, among others.

This new edition of Foros, an annual lecture series on architecture, has been given the following title "Co-benefits". Foros 2020 aims to reflect on the links between and processes of cultural interaction between contemporary architecture and other art forms such as dance, sculpture, film or comic books.

 Language: English