Sep
26
to Nov 1

PAUL CLEMENCE: SHAPES, RHYTHM, ABSTRACTION / Swiss Museums

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Bündner Kunstmuseum in Chur, Switzerland by Barozzi Veiga. Photo: Paul Clemence

The Paul Rudolph Institute is proud to present PAUL CLEMENCE: SHAPES, RHYTHM, ABSTRACTION / Swiss Museums, which will open September 26, 2025 and be on view until November 1.

This exhibition of approximately 30 photographs of museums from around Switzerland printed on brushed aluminum will occupy two floors of the landmarked Modulightor Building, named for the lighting company Paul Rudolph created with Ernst Wagner in 1976.

Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland architecture by Barozzi Veiga. Photo by Paul Clemence.

Known for his ability to express the intangible side of Architecture through his abstract eyes, photographer Paul Clemence takes us on a poetic journey through Swiss museums in Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Zurich, Chur, Bern, and St. Gallen. With a focus on textures, patterns, shapes and light, the exhibit features a diverse mix of projects by architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Mario Botta, Christ & Gantenbein, Barozzi Veiga, Buchner Bründler, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Aires Mateus, Shigeru Ban and others.

 “This exhibit has a full circle feeling for me, since I have been photographing Swiss museums for the last 10 years, crisscrossing the country capturing these amazing structures. It has been a very inspiring journey, and I want this essay to show the variety of architectural approaches and concepts I found.” – Paul Clemence

Kunsthaus Baselland in Basel, Switzerland by Buchner Bründler Architekten. Photo by Paul Clemence.

The exhibit originated as part of Le Salon Suisse, an event hosted by Switzerland Tourism in 2023 during Miami Art Week. This new edition, curated by Eshaan Mehta, will feature new, never before seen images, plus a selection from a previous exhibit held at the Consulate General of Switzerland New York, and the short film “TWO PIANOS”.  The film, a collaboration with filmmaker Axel Stasny, is an atmospheric take on two museums projects by Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

Still from short film TWO PIANOS featuring Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland by Renzo Piano Building Workshop

“Shapes, Rhythm, Abstraction offers a fresh perspective on museums, presenting them as vibrant, evolving works of art. Rather than viewing them as containers for art, this show invites us to see the buildings themselves as creations in motion. This exhibition invites viewers to step into the intersection where art, place, and presence converge, reminding us that architecture is never static” – Eshaan Mehta

As part of the program and in the framework of this collaboration, several activations will take place during the exhibition period. Among them a special talk between the artist and Nathalie Herschdorfer, renowned photography curator and director of Photo Elysée Museum in Lausanne will be held October 8th at the Modulightor Building. Additional events and programming details will be announced soon.

Kunsthaus Zurich addition by David Chipperfield. Photo by Paul Clemence.

Paul Clemence is a visual artist, filmmaker, curator, author and writer focused on the cross sections of art, design and architecture. An architect by training, Clemence is known for his expressive way of capturing the built environment. Throughout his career he has photographed iconic structures all over the world by the likes of Zaha Hadid, Renzo Piano, Bjarke Ingels, Lina Bo Bardi, Oscar Niemeyer, Ruy Ohtake, Herzog & de Meuron, and SANAA. His fine art output, from classic B&W prints to cutting edge large scale photographic installations is exhibited regularly and part of is an important part of his practice. Beyond that his work is often featured in design and culture publications like Gagosian Quarterly, Archdaily, designboom, Architizer, Casa Vogue Brasil, Wallpaper, The Design Edit, Architects & Artisans, Everett Potter’s Travel Report, Side of Culture. Clemence is originally from Niterói, Brazil and now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.


This exhibition is presented with the generous support of Switzerland Tourism.

Eshaan Mehta, curator


Exhibition details for SHAPES, RHYTHM, ABSTRACTION: Swiss Museums
Dates: September 26, 2025 - November 01, 2025
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 1-4 PM; and by appointment other days/times.

Location: The Paul Rudolph Institute For Modern Architecture, The Modulightor Building, 246 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022. The exhibition space is elevator accessible.

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Jul
2
to Sep 20

Architecture = Art: The Collection of Susan Grant Lewin

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The Paul Rudolph Institute is proud to present
Architecture = Art: The Susan Grant Lewin Collection, which will open July 2, 2025 and be on view until September 20.

This exhibition of approximately 50 architectural presentation drawings by celebrated architects from around the world will occupy two floors of the landmarked Modulightor Building, named for the lighting company Paul Rudolph created with Ernst Wagner in 1976.

This collage by Eric Owen Moss and others will be on view at the Paul Rudolph Institute

The drawings—meticulously drawn by hand or digitally rendered—come from the personal collection of Susan Grant Lewin, a longtime advocate for contemporary architecture and design. Created as conceptual or presentation works, they reflect drawing as an essential part of the architect’s expressive process—less about documentation, more about persuasion and imagination. Among the architects represented are: Eileen Grey, Daniel Arsham, Frank Gehry, Jesse Reiser, Hani Rashid, Steven Holl,  Aldo Rossi, Michael Graves, James Wines, Stanley Tigerman, John Hejduk, and many others. Their work spans multiple generations and ideologies, yet all share a deep commitment to drawing as both a communicative tool and an artistic medium.

“These drawings transcend function,” says Lewin. “They are personal, poetic, and often provocative. They show how architecture begins with a bold visual idea.”

In addition to the drawings, the exhibition includes a selection of photographs by architectural photographers like Ezra Stoller, Robin Hill, Norman McGrath, Paul Clemence, and others.  These images are not merely records of completed buildings but carefully composed works that stand on their own as art. Like the drawings  they express atmosphere, intention, and the emotional experience of architectural space. They underscore the role photography plays in shaping our understanding of the built environment.

This drawing by Arata Isozaki and others will be on view at the Paul Rudolph Institute

Susan Grant Lewin’s longstanding commitment to design and innovation extends beyond collecting. She was architecture and design editor at both HFN, Fairchild Publications and House Beautiful Magazine, each for 12 years. In the 1980s, she joined Formica Corporation as Creative Director, originally to promote Colorcore, a new material specifically aimed at architects. She created Surface & Ornament, an exhibition that displayed  both the winners of a design competition and the conceptual objects of a group of invited entrants, most notably the Colorcore fish by Frank Gehry. She subsequently started her own marketing and PR firm Susan Grant Lewin Associates, representing clients like Design Miami and Dyson. Lewin is also known as a prominent collector of contemporary art jewelry. She has had exhibitions and donated important works to Yale University Art Gallery, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, Lowe Museum of the University of Miami and SCAD Museum of Art at the Savannah School of Art and Design.

Eshaan Mehta, curator, with Isabella Fernandez

Exhibition details for Architecture = Art: The Collection of Susan Grant Lewin
Dates: July 2, 2025 - September 20, 2025

Opening reception: Wednesday July 02, 2025, 6-9 PM

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 1-4 PM; and by appointment other days/times.

Location: The Paul Rudolph Institute For Modern Architecture, The Modulightor Building, 246 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022. The exhibition space is elevator accessible.

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