SVA presents “Spaces: Through the Lens,” an exhibition of photographs by BFA Interior Design: Built Environments (ID:BE) students enrolled in the program’s Interior Photography course, curated by co-instructors Malcolm Lightner and Erin Davis. The exhibition will be on view Saturday, December 7, 2024, through Thursday, January 2, 2025, at the Flatiron Gallery, 133/141 West 21 Street, New York City.

As part of Interior Photography, an elective in ID:BE, students explore the art of capturing interior and exterior spaces, including architecture, urban settings, and landscapes. These works invite viewers to experience the interplay of light, structure, and human presence, evoking a powerful sense of space and emotion. At times surreal and otherworldly, each photograph offers a fresh perspective on the inhabited environments.

“Spaces: Through the Lens” is a culmination of various assignments designed to challenge students' perspectives and storytelling abilities. As part of one such assignment influenced by the iconic 1975 “New Topographics” exhibition, which redefined the relationship between people and their environments, students were asked to explore how human presence shapes and intersects with spaces. Aliyana Aris’ photographs explore this tension, blending urban and natural landscapes, each image contributing to a larger narrative on humanity’s connection to the spaces it inhabits.

Another thematic element is “Non-Places,” a term coined by Marc Augé for transitional spaces lacking identity, such as transit hubs or hallways. Sisi Zhang’s evocative black-and-white images of an exterior section of a corporate building convey the often-overlooked resonance of such spaces, showcasing intricate patterns and textures in metallic surfaces and dull concrete. And while her images of the Guggenheim Museum offer a unique perspective on its architectural splendor, Jae Park’s photographs of the TWA Flight Center capture the terminal’s iconic design and ambiance.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, Bojun Huang’s study of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub captures the space's vast interior by focusing closely on diagonal columns, creating a dynamic interplay of light and geometry. Jaden Russell’s project transforms ordinary apple boxes into monumental, surreal architectural forms against a striking red background, evoking cavernous, ethereal spaces.

For their final project, students selected spaces that resonated with them personally, focusing on narrative, function, and form to reveal each location's unique character. “Spaces: Through the Lens” celebrates the students' growth as visual storytellers, inviting viewers to engage with the dynamic interplay of light, structure, and human presence. Each photograph offers an opportunity to pause, look closer, and reconsider the spaces we inhabit, allowing viewers to see them anew through the imaginative and studied gaze of emerging designers and photographers.

Featured Artists:

Aliyana Aris

Atalia Fragoletti

Bojun Huang

Shukun Li

Jaewan Park

Jaden Russell

Sisi Zhang

Chuyan Zhou

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