"The light and shadow of the observatory in Jaipur is telling us the time, the seasons, predicting the monsoon but also positioning the human being in relation to very big dimension. The light and the shadow as a tool to understand the world. In the Couvent Sainte-Marie de la Tourette, light and shadow are the path to the liturgies and the only ornament in the cell of the father. They are collected in a little box, maybe a place to catch dreams.”
September 5 till November 6, 2014
Gallery Gabrielle Ammann will present a solo exhibition of selected works of the internationally renowned photographer Hélène Binet. Acclaimed for her depictions of contemporary architecture, Hélène Binet is equally intrigued in historical structures and has photographed important buildings from all over the world. The astronomical observatory Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, India is remarkable not only for its historic and scientific importance but also because it was influential to Le Corbusier and his later work. Built between 1724 and 1734 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, each structure at Jantar Mantar is an architectural astronomical instrument. The site is a surreal mélange of edifices designed in accordance with astronomical aspects using shadow and light for measurement. Binet’s photographs capture the dreamlike quality of the structures as well as highlights the significant use of shadow and light in order to develop the architectural landscape of the site.
As Binet recounts from her visit: “The light and shadow of the observatory in Jaipur is telling us the time, the seasons, predicting the monsoon but also positioning the human being in relation to very big dimension. The light and the shadow as a tool to understand the world. In the Couvent Sainte-Marie de la Tourette, light and shadow are the path to the liturgies and the only ornament in the cell of the father. They are collected in a little box, maybe a place to catch dreams.”
The inspiration of the simplicity of forms and the play of light and shadow at Jantar Mantar is evident in Le Corbusier’s work at Chandigarh and his sacral buildings. Considered masterpieces of modern architecture, Le Corbusier’s sacred structures are the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame-du-Haut at Ronchamp (1954), the Dominican Monastery of Sainte-Marie de la Tourette (1960) and the posthumously completed Church of Saint-Pierre in Firminy-Vert (2007). Light takes a key position in Le Corbusier´s buildings, it is also the central point in Binet´s graphically arranged compositions. She reveals the spirit of the spaces through light, shadow and texture. Her photographs evoke the sculptural quality of the spaces through the contrast between curved and straight surfaces and the interplay of light and shadow.
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