September 19–November 16, 2024
The Zaha Hadid Foundation presents an exhibition highlighting the unique craft of paper reliefs in Zaha Hadid’s architecture.
The Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF) announced today its upcoming exhibition Zaha Hadid: Paper Museums, the first to showcase paper reliefs from its collection and their significance to Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). Opening on 19 September 2024 at the Foundation’s gallery in Clerkenwell, London, the exhibition considers how paper reliefs were important to the design and presentation strategies for three of Hadid’s important museum designs: Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), Cincinnati, USA (1997–2003), MAXXI: Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome, Italy (1998–2009) and Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar (1997, unrealised).
These projects represent a period from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, when ZHA began realising Hadid’s architectural vision, using analogue methods such as paper reliefs to explore her trademark curvature that enabled the seamless flow of her designs. They unveil her radical ideas revolving around site and space, specific to a museum’s context and function, providing galleries for objects spanning medieval to contemporary, and from western to Islamic art. Building upon Hadid’s paintings, new architectural concepts arose in her reliefs, bridging the gap between her two and three-dimensional works.
Central to the exhibition are the techniques of cutting and folding in Hadid’s paper reliefs, which lend themselves to her use of interlocking spaces, patterns and flowing forms in museums. Highlights include highly abstract paper reliefs for CAC, as well as a series giving a view of the building from the street level entrance and through stairways and gallery spaces, evidencing her concept of the ‘urban carpet’.
Other significant works on show include a large-scale relief of MAXXI that plays with perspective to show an aerial view of the final building within the urban site, developing on Hadid’s use of painting as a presentation strategy. In addition, Hadid’s Museum of Islamic Art design is presented through an extensive range of reliefs, including exterior study models, site plans and roof studies that explore space optimisation, division and flow modelling. Together, these works offer a unique insight into ZHA’s use of paper reliefs to design some of Hadid’s most renowned museums.
Catherine Howe, Curator (ZHF), said: “Paper Museums reveals the impressive creativity of Zaha Hadid Architects when they developed their art museums. Their ground-breaking use of paper reliefs was particularly suited to the design of Hadid’s innovative and engaging exhibition spaces, but the reliefs can also be seen as works of art in their own right.”
Jane Pavitt, Head of Research and Learning (ZHF), said: “Paper Museums shines a spotlight on a form of architectural model making that is both beautiful and unusual. It’s a special type of object in our collections, which we wanted to draw attention to. We hope the exhibition inspires and excites people to think about Zaha’s work in new ways.’
Press enquiries
Serena Lawrance, Communications Officer, s.lawrance@zhfoundation.com.
Exhibition information
Dates: September 19–November 16, 2024 / Hours: Thursday–Saturday 12–6pm, and by appointment / Location: Zaha Hadid Foundation, 10 Bowling Green Lane London, EC1R 0BQ. Free entry.
Public programme
Zaha Hadid: Paper Museums is accompanied by a public programme of free talks and events.
Open house festival: Visitors can explore parts of our building, with drop-in curator talks and model-making workshops. / Desley Luscombe: Zaha Hadid’s “Architecture” of Painting: This talk will explore distinctive paintings from Hadid’s early projects. / Workshop: The Architectural Model: This workshop seeks to address the significance of models within architecture. / Panel talk: The Monstrous Regiment Reassembled: This panel discussion will launch “Women in Architectural History” by Prof Dana Arnold. / Architects talks: Hamza Shaikh: This talk will explore image generation in AI technology. / BSL Gallery Tour: This tour will be led by the curator and signed by a BSL interpreter. / Workshop: Hybrids and Hyperdimensional Objects: This workshop seeks to discuss novel approaches to architectural design, making and researching. / Architects talks: Asif Khan: Khan’s practice explores how material and social innovations can alter people’s experiences and environments. / Celebrating Paper Museums: ZHF will host creative workshops that explore museum designers through drawing and model making. / Lunchtime gallery tours: September 19–November 14, ZHF will host guided public tours of the exhibition every Thursday from 1–1:30pm.
About the Zaha Hadid Foundation
The Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF) was founded in 2013 by the globally renowned architect, designer and artist Zaha Hadid. The Foundation is housed in two buildings in London, in Zaha's former office at 10 Bowling Green Lane, Clerkenwell, and at Shad Thames, on the south bank of the river.
The founding purpose of ZHF is to preserve, study and exhibit the full range of Zaha’s work. As well as managing its collection and archive of c.15,000 works, ZHF curates exhibitions related to Zaha’s work and artistic outlook, promotes learning through public talks, events, publications and loans, and supports research at all levels through grants, bursaries and fellowships.
