Koolhaas Houselife

1 till 31 October 2010

In the documentary 'Koolhaas Houselife', housekeeper Guadalupe Acedo guides the spectator through the Maison à Bordeaux, designed by Rem Koolhaas and his studio OMA in 1998. An experiment that enables a different way of looking at - and representing - architecture.

Unlike most films about architecture, 'Houselife' does not so much give a formal explanation of the building, but it takes the spectator along in the invisible as well as day-to-day reality of this world-famous villa. 

Just as every other house, Maison à Bordeaux is also a place full of chaos, dirt and permanent changes. Central is an elevator of 3 to 3,5 meters that connects the three floor layers for the physically challenged owner. The film by Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoîne portrays the lively and changing reality of a monument. This picture is shown with the stories and activities of Guadelupe Acedo, the housekeeper, and all others who take care of the house. By following Guadelupe, Bêka and Lemoîne provide an unpredictable look into the spaces and structures of the building.  

A film by: Ila Bêka & Louise Lemoine
Film Production: BêkaFilms, 2008

The film Houselife was shown in a temporary cinema. The wooden construction of the earlier exhibition 'Clip/Stamp/Fold' had been cut through by Guus van den Akker and Dirk van de Weijer - the spirit of Gordon Matta-Clark was close - in circled shapes, which created a magnificent reference to Maison à Bordeaux. The inner space, in fact nothing more than a residual shape, became the perfect black box, which in turn unfortunately had to make room for the next exhibition. 

Photography: Johannes Schwartz

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