Architecture Washing
2025. Digital video, 1000s of photographs.
Historical research: Christopher Impey.
A site-specific evocation of the Keep building at Brock Barracks in Reading (Berkshire, UK) — a striking and imposing example of Victorian ‘Fortress Gothic’ military architecture. This short film traces the layered history of the building, from its opening in the 1870s upto its transformation into a space for artists.
Drawing entirely from historical newspaper stories, the film reflects on how architecture can project symbolism — appearing steadfast and noble while often serving political or practical purposes beneath the surface. It engages with the ideas of Victorian critic John Ruskin, who viewed Gothic as a reflection of moral integrity and spiritual depth — and questions how far the Keep embodies those ideals. The film spans more than 120 years of lived experience. Major events like war appear here in the margins, while other details have equal weight: the mundane, the tragic, the absurd, and the joyful — fragments of life that give a place texture, identity, and meaning over time. Combining photography, text, and sound, Architecture Washing offers a thought on permanence, perception, and the evolution of a landmark building within a changing society.
Historical research: Christopher Impey.
A site-specific evocation of the Keep building at Brock Barracks in Reading (Berkshire, UK) — a striking and imposing example of Victorian ‘Fortress Gothic’ military architecture. This short film traces the layered history of the building, from its opening in the 1870s upto its transformation into a space for artists.
Drawing entirely from historical newspaper stories, the film reflects on how architecture can project symbolism — appearing steadfast and noble while often serving political or practical purposes beneath the surface. It engages with the ideas of Victorian critic John Ruskin, who viewed Gothic as a reflection of moral integrity and spiritual depth — and questions how far the Keep embodies those ideals. The film spans more than 120 years of lived experience. Major events like war appear here in the margins, while other details have equal weight: the mundane, the tragic, the absurd, and the joyful — fragments of life that give a place texture, identity, and meaning over time. Combining photography, text, and sound, Architecture Washing offers a thought on permanence, perception, and the evolution of a landmark building within a changing society.
The film was premiered in situ at the Keep, in a projection on the walls of the interior, where the texture of the building became another layer in the visuals.
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