
Architectural photographer Hélène Binet
Associate Professor, Department of Architectural Design, Chak Chi Kong University, Curator of “The Friendship of Architecture and Books”
Wen Shin Art Center (No. 6, Lane 10, Lane 180, Section 6, Section 6, Minquan East Road, Neihu District, Taipei City)
$300 (one drink included)
Hélène Binet is a renowned architectural photographer who has been invited to photograph representative works of many important architects such as Peter Zumthor, Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and has been at the Power Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai Station of Art) holds a solo exhibition.
In this talk, Elena Bini will be invited from an early age by Alvin Boyarsky, giving her the opportunity to photograph the works of John Hejduk and the work of the Greek architect Dimitri Pikionis “The Road” Speaking of Path, through her camera: How did such a shooting experience have a profound impact on her creative career? How did the emotional impact of that time become the starting point for the creation that burns and continues to be pursued today?
Hélène Binet recalls the early influence of family friend and designer Jean Petit1, from whom she learned to appreciate the beauty of architecture through images and publications. In 1986, due to her husband Raoul Bunschoten's involvement in the construction of John Hejduk's work The Collapse of Time while working at the AA School of Architecture in London, she was invited to photograph the project. This opportunity led her to meet Dean Alvin Boyarsky and John Hejduk. Through John Hejduk's writings, she realized the difference between architecture and photography2. John Hejduk often used the term "osmosis" to summarize the subtle influence of his education, helping Hélène Binet discover the power of her creative essence. Hélène Binet's attention to detail and preference for black-and-white abstract images are reflected in her photographic records of John Hejduk's works in Oslo, New York, and Prague.
Just as John Hejduk used "squares" filled with poetry, knowledge, and art as exercises for his students, she believes that within the frame, "every photograph has to be a complete world." Besides John Hejduk's profound influence, the architectural works she photographed at the invitation of Alvin Boyarsky also marked a significant encounter with architecture for her, leading to long-term collaborations with Peter Zumthor (1943-) and photographing construction sites for Daniel Libeskind (1946-) and Zaha Hadid (1950-2016). Hélène Binet also shares the creative journey of her new book during the pandemic with graphic designer and publisher Lars Müller (1955-)3, and for the first time, unveils church photos she took for the Gottfried Böhm (1920-2021) memorial exhibition4. In response to the questions raised by the audience, Hélène Binet uses the analogy of a performer and a composer to explain the relationship between photography and architecture, hoping that people can feel the imaginative space in her works, creating their own worlds just like reading a book.