Main Section – Stand W11
11–15 May 2022
Somerset House, London
ECKART MUTHESIUS | SHUBHA TAPARIA
Prahlad Bubbar and UNIT 7 return to Photo London this year with a powerful group of works from two photographers that have made architecture the centrepoint for discussion about the man-made environment, as well as the transitional effect of light and colour on the texture and human dimension of buildings.
Eckart Muthesius was the legendary German architect, designer, photographer of the interwar period whose magnum opus was the palace built for the Maharaja of Indore, Manik Bagh. He designed not only the building as an extension of its patron’s personality but also the furnishings and landscape that surrounded it. Through his masterful photographs we observe his sensitively tuned ‘modernist’ eye that created the very environment.
In 1935, Muthesius had his first photographic exhibition ‘Indien Im Lichtbild’ ‘India in the Photograph’ in Berlin. This special selection of Muthesius’ vintage photographs come from the estate of the artist and were displayed in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris Exhibition in 2019. The selected images focus on the famous interiors of the palace filled with masterpieces of 20th century design.. After WWII he fell into oblivion.
Shubha Taparia the conceptual artist’s work in multiple mediums stands out for its ability to capture a changing urban environment and the imprint humans leave on their cities and buildings. In either monochrome studies of the small details of large installation works or in medium-format photography of urban construction sites retouched with gold-leaf, Taparia brings a touch of revelation to the mechanical and solid environments that compose our daily lives.
The monochrome photographs here are the close-up details of Taparia’s most recent work ‘Crescent’ at UNIT 7, a monumental sculptural installation constituting scaffolding elements, geotextile membrane and light. She explores the material force of these different elements and brings us into contact with the delicate latticework that functions at the heart of every intricate construction.
Her medium-format work, where an image of a transitional urban construction site is brought into sharp focus by the application of a touch of gold leaf, reveals a glowing and timeless element. The presentation will be accompanied by the latest publication on her work with contributions by Nicoletta Lambertucci, Matreyi Maheshwari and Prahlad Bubbar. Taparia’s work has been featured in the RIBA Journal and Architect’s Journal, among others. In March 2022 she was shortlisted for the Gladstone Park public art commission.
Photo London 2022
Stand W11, West Wing
11–15 May 2022, at Somerset House
Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Preview Day:
Wednesday, 11 May, 12–9 pm
Public days:
Thursday, 12 May 12–9 pm
Friday, 13 & Saturday, 14 May, 12–7 pm
Sunday, 15 May, 12–6.30 pm