The exhibition Moteur Action Forme presents artefacts from the laboratories run by Stéphanie Bru and Alexandre Theriot at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and Bruther’s offices in Paris. It comprises samples of materials, structural models, infrastructural devices, electrical and electromagnetic systems, as well as prototypes of furniture and small-scale architectural designs. It also features a series of abortive experiments, failed attempts and fleeting discoveries only captured on film.
The exhibition does not merely transfer these artefacts from the laboratory to the museum. The idea is, on the contrary, to relate them to one another, independently from the original experiment, to initiate a broader investigation of the state of contemporary architecture. What characterises Bruther’s practice and research is a special interest in the “operative” dimension of architecture - be it in terms of the resilience of materials, structural efficiency, climatic standards, or, more prosaically, cost reduction. At Bruther, however, instead of being determined by mere technical, economic or administrative factors, materials are active, structures are open-ended, and programmes can be appropriated in different ways.
Each room in the exhibition has a theme (glass, membrane, structure, air, atmosphere) providing a point of entry for the visitor. This theme can then be reinterpreted thanks to dynamic associations (taking the form of mechanical, pneumatic and electro-magnetic movements) that emerge along the longitudinal axes of the gallery. The latter connect the rooms to one another both visually and acoustically, suggesting further underlying associations that the visitor is encouraged to discover.
Carlotta Darò and Laurent Stalder
Exhibition designed with Bruther architects Carlotta Darò and Laurent Stalder
