Zaha Hadid Silver Paintings

“Hadid’s is an architectural process that explodes all unilaterally constructive and cognitive procedures in the face of the invisible and imaginary.” 

Germano Celant Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Solomon R Guggenheim, New York

The Buchmann Gallery in Berlin is pleased to announce its second exhibition of the sensuous silver paintings of architect and designer Zaha Hadid. A selection of twelve new works will present a breadth of new international designs.

Painting formed a critical part of Hadid’s early career as the design tool that allowed the intense experimentation in both form and movement that has lead to her radical approach to developing a new language for architecture. The recent advancements in computer software have allowed her to transfer this experimentation into a digital field, yet painting has remained integral to her process. The Silver Paintings series provide an evolving commentary on her architectural and design work, and beginning as virtual photographs capture historical moments within the development of each design, continually re-examining the progression of each project. 

The Silver Paintings are executed on a polyester skin treated with chrome and gelatine then mounted on to an aluminium DI-BOND to resemble polished metal. Different media are used depending on the desired effect. Stained glass paint offers transparency while acrylic and Chinese lacquer generate opaqueness. UV-resistant ink combined with vinyl gives the highest degrees of reflectivity. These techniques combine to suggest a gradual intersection between reflectivity and opacity, from one architectural feature to the next. 

Zaha Hadid has consistently pushed the boundaries of architecture and urban design. Her work experiments with new spatial concepts, intensifying existing urban landscapes in the pursuit of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields of design; from the urban scale to products, interiors and furniture. Over the past year, her work has been the subject of two major retrospectives at the Solomon R Guggenheim in New York and currently at the Design Museum, London.