Luisa Rodríguez

Revival: The Way Ahead

Banner, drinking cans
Dimensions variable

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The site-specific installation at the Crypt Gallery had as a starting point the archival research on the crypt's recent history and the church's plan to convert it into a place to serve the local community back in 1995.

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From the beginning, the intention was to highlight the fact that half of the crypt remains an unutilized space and to revive the old idea of it serving a bigger purpose. At the same time I desired to take it from the architect's perspective of making a proposal. Essential steps for pre-design stage were important such as exploring the surroundings and looking for available resources.

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Drinking *cans were among the most recurrent objects readily available, isolated and abandoned. I suddenly discovered their potential to be transformed into fake bricks to create a modern-looking cladding surface which, paired with elements of lighting, could resemble the style of trendy cafés such the Dock House by Mar.s Architects.

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In response to current debates on architectural renderings versus the final product and the use of stock photos for people, I decided to create a render that would address these issues by combining 3D visual of the proposal and pictures of the local people. The latter taking from Chantal Joffe's commission for the Elizabeth Line were she depicted locals from Whitechapel in her collages. The banner with the visual along with the fake cladding pretend to make a live comparison between a promise, the proposal and the real.

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*The collection of cans involved a process of weeks which represents a separate body of documentation through videos taken on site per every can collected and the mapping of their location.