ROYGBIV Exhibit, Art Gallery of Alberta September 2021 - January 2022
The ROYGBIV exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta (“AGA”) ended at the beginning of 2022. If you managed to attend the AGA during its’ run from September 2021 to January 2022, you know that projects in the exhibit helped to “reveal a relationship between colour, architectural form, the inner and outer spaces they can create and the resulting effects on the human body.”
ROYGBIV featured artists who like to work with colour and through their installations, explore how mood, behaviour and even physical space is affected by it. Artists like Kapwani Kiwanga and Witthöft & Latourelle celebrate colour while causing us to reflect on the way we change when confronted by it. The tactile exhibit by Shoplifter allowed interaction and exploration through texture, various colour combinations and physical space.
But the one part of the whole show that really stood out was the short film entitled “Dammi i colori” by Anri Sala, a contemporary Albanian artist whose main medium is video. His installation reflects on the transformation of Tirana in 2003 through the use of colour on building facades. The film includes footage with Tirana's mayor at the time, Edi Rama, a close friend of Sala’s and the main force behind the city’s transformation.
Hyperlings by Shoplifter
ROYGBIV Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta September 2021 - January 2022
The film is full of contrasts: the brightly painted buildings against the background of a war torn city; the daylight leading into the darkness; dispair vs. optimism, silence vs. conversation - all inviting the viewer to reflect on the success of the project and to draw attention to that idea of hope in a place where there seemingly isn’t any; all through the application of colour to architecture.
It also forces the viewer to reflect on their own surroundings and how colour impacts the way one not only interacts (inside and out) with buildings and public spaces but with each other. It begins to form the question of how collectively, colour contributes to the overall ‘feel’ of a city. And maybe the role of colour in architecture overall.
That has been a controversial subject in the architectural world. Some think it’s not an important part of the design strategy, others think it’s vital. Based on basic colour theory, the “right” colours can summon emotional responses that create a positive connection between the space and the human.
“Colour has a tremendous influence on our moods and cannot be too carefully considered.”
This exhibit proved just that. By integrating colour into building design, it can aesthetically enhance while accurately conveying purpose and function. It just has to be cleverly applied.
What are your thoughts on the application of colour in architecture?