Using paper as its primary material, architects Unknown Works have designed the UK's first major retrospective exhibition for Colombian artist, curator, art historian and educator Beatriz González at the Barbican. González was born in 1932 and sadly passed away at the beginning of this year, aged 93.
The exhibition is the largest-ever European show for this groundbreaking artist, bringing together 150 artworks created over six decades, many of which have never been shown before in the UK. It includes paintings, sculptural assemblages and monumental public installations.

Unknown Works won an invited competition to work with the Barbican’s curatorial team on the design of the show. They created a spatial and material narrative based on ‘paper-tecture’, responding to the artist’s close working relationship with print media and its materiality. González’s work drew inspiration from found images she collected throughout her life, ranging from tattered reproductions of paintings from Western art history to newspaper clippings reporting on violent conflict and loss. She reworked and transformed these sources in a distinctive graphic style, using a bold colour palette, which also informed the choice of wall colours in the show.

Extensive experimentation was undertaken by Unknown Works for the project, exploring the possibilities of fabricating and constructing an exhibition using paper and paper-based materials across surfaces, walls, screens and furniture, pushing the boundaries of what paper can achieve, in honour of González’s fearless creative practice.

A panel product made of 100% paper called Honext - both recycled and recyclable - was experimented with in a number of different ways throughout the exhibition. First, in sheet form, with individual panels abutted next to each other to form an undulating display landscape. Then, the product was layered to form solid blocks that were carved using a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining process to make four monolithic benches that allow visitors to reflect on the monumental scale and impact of González’s works.

Shallow scallops have been machined into the top surface of each bench, revealing the contours of each paper layer. The benches sit throughout the gallery as both freestanding elements and integrated into the display landscape.
All paper surfaces are roughly sanded and sealed with a fire retardant varnish that catches the light and adds protection to the delicate surface. This shows off the inherent fibres of the paper and adds texture and depth.