Bildbauten. 2007-09
The rapid development of computer and information technology has fundamentally changed the relationship between image and architecture as well as their perception. In addition to the conventional types of mostly abstract images used until now in the design and planning phases – sketches, plans, elevations or axonometric drawings - a new type of image is now being used: a digitally created image that appears to be a photograph. In the context of architecture, this type of image has until now exclusively been associated with the image of built architecture. Now, it is increasingly used to let something appear real which has yet to be built. This leads to confusion and challenges the claim to reality of images that appear to be photographs.
The series of images with the title „Bildbauten“ deals with the effect and the claim to credibility of images of architecture that appear to be photographs. Frontal views of fictional architectures serve as an example. By means of their exaggerated and orchestrated way of representation, they model themselves on the object- like appearance and the formal language of contemporary architecture in a rather ironic way. All images try to reproduce a reality. They are not a photograph; instead, they were newly designed and constructed from scratch by means of image synthesis and digital image editing.
Images & Captions
Title: Bildbau No. 1
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 2
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 3
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 4
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 5
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 6
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 7
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 8
Technique: Montage
Year: 2007
Title: Bildbau No. 9
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 10
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 11
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 12
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 13
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 14
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 15
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 16
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 17
Technique: Montage
Year: 2008
Title: Bildbau No. 18
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 19
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 20
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 21
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 22
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 23
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 25
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 26
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009
Title: Bildbau No. 27
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/16
Title: Bildbau No. 28
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/15
Title: Bildbau No. 29
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/15
Title: Bildbau No. 30
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/15
Title: Bildbau No. 32
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/15
Title: Bildbau No. 33
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/15
Title: Bildbau No. 34
Technique: Montage
Year: 2009/15
Bildbau No. 1,2,5,6,9 | 3,8,10,7,4
C-Prints, 684 x 913 mm each
Date: May 2008
Bildbau No. 13 (2008)
C-Print, 1200 x 1700 mm
Date: July 2011
Bildbau No. 23,2,21,25,19
C-Prints, 684 x 913 mm each
Date: April 2012
Bildbau No. 1, 2 (2007)
C-Prints, 684 x 913 mm each
Date: April 2013
Bildbau No. 1, 2 (2007)
C-Prints, 684 x 913 mm each
Date: April 2013
Bildbau No. 5 (2007)
C-Print, 606 x 808 mm
Date: June 2015
Bildbau No. 6, 5 (2007)
C-Prints, 606 x 808 mm each
Date: June 2019
Bildbau No. 6, 21 | 18, 2
C-Prints, 606 x 808 mm each
Date: April 2016
Book: "Bildbauten"
Hardcover, 155 x 195 mm, 80 pages
Year: 2010
Book: "Bildbauten - Philipp Schaerer"
Hardcover, 210 x 280 mm, 96 pages
Year: 2016
Writings & Reviews
Keller, W. (2008, June). Bildbauten, Bilder von Philipp Schaerer. DU Kulturmagazin, Issue No. 787, pp. 40-47. > PDF (German)
Geiser, R. (2010). Bilder Bauen. In R. Geiser (Ed.), "Bildbauten: Philipp Schaerer" (1st ed., pp. 6-7). Basle: Standpunkte. > PDF (German)
Stierli, M. (2010). Architektur in der Möglichkeitsform - Zu den Bildbauten Philipp Schaerers. In R. Geiser (Ed.), Bildbauten: "Philipp Schaerer" (1st ed., pp. 10-19). Basle: Standpunkte. > PDF (German)
Herschdorfer, N. (2010). La Virtualité Réelle. In R. Geiser (Ed.), "Bildbauten: Philipp Schaerer" (1st ed., pp. 20-29). Basle: Standpunkte. > PDF (French)
Tourette, J. (2010, December). Philipp Schaerer: Photographie et Architecture Fictionelle. Kiblind, Issue No. 33, pp. 12-13. > PDF (French)
Aquila, M. (2011, June). Penetrable Buildings - Philipp Schaerer. FFWMAG, Issue No. 24, pp. 36-43. > PDF (English)
Popeson, P. (August 6, 2015). Pushing the Vision: Philipp Schaerer and Andrés Jaques. Inside/Out - A MoMA/ MoMA PS1 Blog. > URL | > PDF (English)
Geiser, R. (2016). Constructing images. In R. Geiser (Ed.), "Bildbauten: Philipp Schaerer" (extended english edition, pp. 69-71). Basle: Standpunkte. > PDF (English)
Herschdorfer, N. (2016). When the virtual becomes real. In R. Geiser (Ed.), "Bildbauten: Philipp Schaerer" (extended english edition, pp. 80-89). Basle: Standpunkte. > PDF (English)
Stierli, M. (2016). Architecture in the subjunctive mood. In R. Geiser (Ed.), "Bildbauten: Philipp Schaerer" (extended english edition, pp. 72-78). Basle: Standpunkte. > PDF (English)
Vassallo, J. (2016). Control Game: Philipp Schaerer vs. Roger Boltshauser. In J. Vassallo (Ed.), "Seamless: Digital collage and dirty realism in contemporary architecture" (1st ed., pp. 69-112). Zurich: Park Books. > PDF (English)