Presenting Wild Windows: An Exploration of Brazilian Modernism Through a Photographic Lens

February 17, 2024

Veronika Kellndorfer's Wild Windows, presented in the artist's book format, delves into the heart of Brazilian modernism through a unique lens. The title itself, echoing both Claude Lévi-Strauss' The Savage Mind and Kellndorfer's extensive research on the semiotics of windows, hints at the multifaceted approach within. More than a historical survey, Wild Windows positions the iconic structures of Lina Bo Bardi and the verdant landscapes of Burle Marx as fragile yet enduring monuments to a bygone era of optimism, one that seemingly presaged the dawn of a new epoch.

Kellndorfer's photographic journey plays a crucial role, weaving a tapestry of images that illuminate the profound analogies between nature, architecture, and the very fabric of public space. These personal explorations intertwine with views from her exhibitions on Bo Bardi and Marx, creating a dynamic dialogue between the specificities of individual spaces and the distilled essence of her archive. Moving beyond anthropocentrism, Wild Windows invites us to contemplate the architecture of cohabitation. The book fosters reflection on the current discourse surrounding vernacular approaches to plants and resources, prompting a reimagination of our relationship with the built environment and the natural world.

Wild Windows is not merely an artistic exploration, but a catalyst for critical discourse and a reimagining of the past, present, and future of Brazilian modernism.

Publicado/Published by
Spector books.

Instituto Bardi / Casa de Vidro 
Rua General Almério de Moura, 200
Morumbi, São Paulo – SP, Brasil
CEP 05690-080