The Habitat Project ”Roof passage”.

by Øystein Aasan

When Walter Benjamin considered the use of architecture, he emphasized two aspects, one tactile and one optical, by which he meant use or watching.

Deborah Ligorio’s project for her artist friend Laura Horelli is basically a specific use of architecture, which separates us (viewers) from Laura Horelli. It goes like this: Deborah constructs a shelter/showroom (virtual but still encircled) for Laura to enter and show her work (or maybe live if she likes).

The separation occurs when we as viewers comes along secondary to take the work into consideration. As petit Benjamins we become aware of the different ways of dealing in architecture. As the title indicates, only Laura Horelli is permitted to use the work entirely in the modus operandi it suggests, and we create the second meaning by only being able to have a tactile understanding of the shelter.

Berlin 2005