OTHER PLANES
MCBA, LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
2025
With the award of the Prix Gustave Buchet 2025, artist Giulia Essyad was invited to present a solo exhibition in the 200 m² Project Space of the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA) in Lausanne. The installation is rooted in the concept of transitional spaces, charged with both movement and suspension. Rather than using this theme merely as a backdrop, the exhibition makes it the connective tissue between all the works on view, creating an immersive installation that weaves together sound, light, colour, and structure to evoke shifting emotional states.
At the beginning of the design process stood an in-depth research into airport typologies, focusing on how these vast, complex environments could be distilled into their most elemental spatial and emotional components. Security checkpoints, expansive duty-free shopping concourses, endless corridors lined with advertising, and impersonal waiting areas all became sources of inspiration. With a deliberately minimal set of architectural tools, our goal was to recreate the psychological tension and disorientation that these spaces evoke.
This exploration led to the creation of a transitional circulation sequence, guiding visitors through a succession of contrasting atmospheres. Movement, turns, moments of interaction, and shifts in light became key to structuring the experience.
Ultimately, the architecture acted as a catalyst, shaping the presentation of the artworks and engaging in a close dialogue with their conception. The installation oscillates between large-scale architectural gestures and intimate works of art, creating a cohesive spatial narrative—one that resonates deeply with both the artist’s vision and the visitors, and contributes to the exhibition’s success.
