Monsters: Fragments of Stuttgart Brutalism

Brutalist buildings are all too often depicted in stark black and white photography, accentuating public perceptions of this style of architecture as challenging rather than beautiful. In this installation sited on the corner of Bedford Square, photographer Sue Barr has instead chosen to celebrate the colour and materiality of these structures. Her subtle observations of their ageing and weathering emphasise the sculptural and expressive qualities of the buildings. These photographs combine documentary, aesthetic and abstract elements to provide us with a new perspective on brutalist buildings. The title of the exhibition also addresses this contradictory understanding and contrasts with Barr's rich and poetic images.

Monsters: Fragments of Stuttgart Brutalism was commissioned by the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart (ABK) under the direction of Marianne Mueller and AM Constantin Hörburger. Barr’s photographs show a selection of lesser-known brutalist buildings from the 1960s and 1970s in the Greater Stuttgart area. They document residential complexes, administration and university buildings, churches and community centres fifty years after their construction.

The photographs were taken while Sue Barr was Head of Photography at the Architectural Association (AA) as a continuation of the research themes she explores in both her teaching and her personal photographic practice. Marianne Mueller, who previously taught a unit at the AA, also led the AA Berlin Laboratory Visiting School and the Concrete Geometries Research Cluster. While this project is situated in Stuttgart, this collaboration has its origins at the AA. By re-exhibiting these images on the corner of Bedford Square, we hope they will encourage visitors to draw parallels between brutalism across different international contexts, and reflect on London’s own rich brutalist heritage.

Image: St Monika © Sue Barr