What does it mean to truly look, to see? What does it mean to truly listen, to hear? These questions need time and space, deliberateness. They also require moving at the speed of trust, honoring the rhythm of a new conversation or an unforeseen journey.
the voices of people. the stories of place. the politics of power.
"In architecture particularly, the dominant voice has historically been a singular, exclusive voice, whose reach and power ignores huge swathes of humanity — financially, creatively, conceptually — as though we have been listening and speaking in one tongue only. The ‘story’ of architecture is therefore incomplete. Not wrong, but incomplete. It is in this context particularly that exhibitions matter. They are a unique moment in which to augment, change, or re-tell a story, whose audience and impact is felt far beyond the physical walls and spaces that hold it."
―Lesley Lokko, The Laboratory of the Future
Amplifying the voices of people and the stories of place was the focus of The Voices of People, The Stories of Place, The Politics of Power, which was on view from February 22 to April 26, 2024. The stories unfolded by displacing architecture, and architects, and privileging the lived experience and grounded realities of communities and their leaders across the city. Through this process an expanded and more level terrain for dialogue was created, one that was neither scripted nor predetermined. It is through this dialogue that we can deconstruct narratives that have for too long defined what is beautiful or ordinary, what is privileged or overlooked, and what is power or obstruction.
The exhibit is not an exhaustive representation of people, or place, or power—it is a window, open only briefly, to breathe change into space. We invite you to see parts of Houston through our eyes and lenses, to hear different voices and new stories, and carry with you a new understanding of the intersectionality of people, place, and power.
We would like to thank the Architecture Center Houston Foundation, Jennifer Ward, and Karim Ghonima for their support and assistance. We would also like to acknowledge the community leaders who generously shared their time: Priscilla Argueta, Veronica (Roni) Cabrera-Moreno, Jesus DeAnda, Tanya Debose, Keith Downey, Brenda Flewellen, Huey German-Wilson, Anna Gonzales, Charmaine LeBlanc, Alejandro Perez, Barbara Quattro, Chelsea Sallans, David L. Smith, Ray Soto, Lupita Talley, and Ivy Lorraine Walls.
Curators: Susan Rogers and José Mario López
Credits:
Portrait Photography by Joe Robles IV
Videos by José Mario López
Stories by Susan Rogers and Kaede Polkinghorne
Audio Interviews by Amber Quinn and Natalie Armstrong
Project Team: Diana Arias, Natalie Armstrong, Marco Chapa, Kai Wen Chua, Eric Goldner, Sharon Lott, Davone Morgan, and Regyna Palacios
Sponsors: Architecture Center Houston Foundation and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance
Spring 2024
Exhibit at the Architecture Center Houston
Press:
The Voices of People. The Stories of Place. The Politics of Power at the Architecture Center Houston redefines community engagement
The Voices of People. The Stories of Place. The Politics of Power.