Paul Clemence | Modern Mirage
“Modern Mirage” installation view, at Casa do Baile, © Courtesy of the artist Paul Clemence
Written and Photo Edited by Wenjie (Demi) Zhao
In his latest architectural photographic series, Modern Mirage, Paul Clemence recontextualizes the works of Oscar Niemeyer, an icon of the Modern movement, delivering a unique contemporary interpretation. The series features three architectural masterpieces: the Saint Francis Assis Church, the Museum of Art, and the Casa do Baile, each rendered anew through the lens of Clemence’s avant-garde vision.
Among the series’ most striking depictions is a reflected image of the Casa do Baile’s facade on the Pampulha Lake. The lake’s windblown horizontal streaks serve as a captivating juxtaposition against the vertical shafts of the Casa’s columns. This intentional contrast offers a fresh perspective on Niemeyer’s work, bringing the fluid shapes of his creations into a new light.
“Museu/Pampulha”, © Paul Clemence
“Modern Mirage” installation view, at Casa do Baile, © Courtesy of the artist, Paul Clemence
Perhaps most notable in the Modern Mirage series is Clemence’s site-specific textile installation piece. Measuring 2.63 x 8.40 meters and printed on voile, the piece features an image of the Casa do Baile itself. Using the transparency of the medium, Clemence crafts a luminous dialogue between the solid concrete construct and its liquid context – the house and the lake. This interplay ingeniously echoes the dynamic relationship between Niemeyer’s original architectural vision and its contemporary experience, creating a poignant encounter between space and dream.
With a nod to Impressionism’s pursuit of fleeting light, Clemence‘s piece transcends the boundaries of a mere art object. It acts as a filter, inviting viewers to gaze both inwards into the space and outwards towards the landscape, offering an immersive experience of the Pampulha landscape and its iconic architectural pieces.
“Faithful/Pampulha Chapel”, © Paul Clemence
“Sway /Casa do Baile”, © Paul Clemence
The series harnesses the reflective surface of the Pampulha Lake, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to echo the avant-garde vision of Oscar Niemeyer. His early 1940s Pampulha Modern Ensemble project took full advantage of the lake’s contouring shoreline, and Clemence‘s series builds on this aspect to offer a stunning tribute.
“The notion of a mirage, that seductive illusion quality, I feel translates very well the work of Niemeyer, with its dreamlike futuristic aesthetic and its fluid shapes that challenge what we are accustomed to seeing as the real world,” says Clemence. His series, which echoes the atmospheric conditions of a mirage through a masterful interplay of time, light, and reflection, offers a layered approach to perceiving the world and architecture.
Pampulha lake seen through “Modern Mirage”, © Courtesy of the artist Paul Clemence
Highlighting the dynamics of the textile installation, curator Frugoli notes, “Fluttering in the wind, the work moves as if it had a life of its own. Its play of transparency and reflections invite us to contemplate, expanding further the perception of Pampulha‘s landscape.” The wind, in this context, becomes an integral part of the artwork, giving it movement and amplifying the dynamic relationship with the site and time.
© Paul Clemence
“Modern Mirage”, © Paul Clemence
Modern Mirage is not just a series of photographs, but a contemporary visual symphony that elegantly blends architecture, natural environment, and light. By capturing the fleeting essence of Niemeyer’s designs and the fluidity of their interaction, Paul Clemence’s Modern Mirage encapsulates the transient essence of time and space, offering an eloquent tribute to the undeniable grandeur of Modern architecture.
