A mirage can refer to an optical phenomenon caused by the refraction of light on certain surfaces, creating the illusion of a liquefied appearance. It can also represent an illusion, where something appears to be different from what it actually is. Paul Clemence capitalizes on this dual interpretation in his photographic essay, Modern Mirage, which features Casa do Baile (now the Reference Center for Architecture, Urbanism, and Design), the Art Museum, and the Church of Pampulha. He captures these iconic structures as they are reflected in the water mirrors of the modern complex designed by Oscar Niemeyer in Belo Horizonte, MG.
In the photographs, the building is not directly represented but rather reflected and liquefied. This altered perspective not only simulates the architectural "melting" through a physical phenomenon but also blurs the contours of the modern ideals that canonical architects like Niemeyer represented and continue to aspire to. This visual and indirect approach plays with the dual perception of whether it is a real representation or merely an optical or conceptual illusion.
In addition to the photographs, Clemence printed his mirage on voile fabric for the exhibition Imagined Place, Lived Place: 80 Years of Casa do Baile, curated by Guilherme Wisnik and Marina Frugoli. The curatorial concept aims to present and contextualize the history of the building, placing it within a broader context that extends beyond the author's signature and encompasses its surroundings and urban environment. In this regard, the photographic print effectively brings the external water mirror inside Casa do Baile.
The artwork features a photograph that captures the reflection of the columns in the lagoon. Through the image and the transparency of the medium, it establishes a novel connection between architecture and the lagoon, between solid concrete structures and their liquid surroundings, and between the original vision and the modern experience, ultimately bridging the gap between space and dream. - Paul Clemence
The resulting image from the work is semi-abstract and evokes impressions of landscapes similar to Impressionist paintings. The mirage in the water mirror resembles the brushstrokes of artists like Claude Monet and can be interpreted as a commentary or questioning of the paradigm shift that occurred with the emergence of photography compared to traditional painting. This shift pertains to how landscapes are represented, with one relying on brushes and paint and the other on a shutter and light. It also highlights the role of the artist's gaze and gesture in shaping the final image in both cases.
These dualities are evoked by Clemence's Modern Mirage. The precise and carefully crafted modern architecture, despite its sinuous lines, quivers in the water mirror, with its contours dissolving under the influence of the wind. In other words, in addition to the conceptual and theoretical questions regarding art history, modern architecture, architectural ideals, and their interaction with reality, the mirage of Casa do Baile introduces another layer. Despite its status as an architectural marvel, the construction remains subject to the forces of nature, a reminder that it is, and perhaps always will be, under the sway of natural elements.
The elements of nature are the "adversaries" of the construction. In the photograph, Casa do Baile succumbs to the water's movement. Once again, the mirage unfolds for the observer. The complexity of the natural world deceives the eye and produces phenomena of unparalleled force. Meanwhile, the constructed world promises development and progress, claiming to be the master of means but it remains subject to more numerous and complex contingencies than itself, some of which it creates on its own. In the artist's words: "between the original vision and the contemporary experience, in short, between space and dream."
