Architecture

Art and architecture share many similarities. They've influenced one another throughout history. However, trying to liken these two disciplines will inevitably lead to certain contractions.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that Art, in its broadest sense, is defined as a creation meant to trigger an emotional response which is generally related to aesthetic pleasure. It doesn't satisfy any of life's basic needs, but it leads to thoughts, reflections, and often taps into our subconscious and our memory. On the other hand, architecture's primary purpose is to shelter individuals and ensure their safety. Architecture is meant to serve a utilitarian purpose.

Today, architecture has gone far beyond this initial function. Architects have strived to combine engineering and aesthetic research to create buildings that are so out of the ordinary we wonder how they were designed. They want their creations to stand out and favour originality and creativity. Just like in arts, architecture is influenced by the historical, social, and political context of the time and each movement has its own characteristics, from baroque to futurism to Bauhaus. Modern architecture marked a turn in the history of architecture. Architects revolutionised the social scope of their discipline and took an industrialist approach to society and nature — avant-garde architects rubbed shoulders with artists such as Georges Braque, Piet Mondrian, and members of the De Stijl group. Le Corbusier is a pioneer in collective housing, and also took part in ambitious projects which aimed to rebuild entire cities, such as Chandigarh in India. Decorative arts also developed by taking inspiration from the conventions that governed modernist architecture.

Contemporary architecture might not be a specific movement per se, but buildings that fall into this category share certain attributes. Contemporary architecture is characterised by curvy lines and various volumes in a single structure, as seen with the Sydney Opera House. The architect Jørn Utzon explained that he didn't seek to create a building for this project, but an actual sculpture. The building continually renews itself with new meanings and experiences for each passerby. Architectural works often require periods of deep reflection and a long though process in order for the architect to envisage how to give their building a sense of character and soul.

Whether architecture is an art or not is a never ending debate, but it is undeniable that there are strong links between the two disciplines. There are many examples of collaborations between contemporary artists and architects, and today the works of the greatest architects are exhibited in museums along with their fellow artists.

Discover our selections of artworks inspired by art and architecture!

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Architecture

Fairy

Empire State

Absis

Espace magique

Deux mondes II

La belle époque sans TV

The city that rides a garbage dump

Nexus papel III

Le bureau

Camera Domestica

Viens

New-York 2

Couloir d'yeux

Nexus papel I

New-York 6

Moment bleu

Land of water

5th Avenue give and take

Albert Bridge

Je t'aime

Hats & Caps

Going Nowhere

Station Barbès

Place royale - Barcelone

Maxim's à la tour

Les Sans Logis

La dame de Montmartre

Sumériens

Mon coeur

Nuit sur NY

Les pigeons

Untitled #42

Regresa vida mia que te espero 4

Un été à Pékin

Le pont japonais

Bronze

Au fil du temps

Arlequin

Mine de Chuquicamata

New York 2

Greenwich Village Shadows

Untitled (Facade)

Untitled (Exterior)

Untitled (Tomb)

Untitled (ufo)

The Less Deceived

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Cat

Paysage

The yacht

Matriochka

Robbe Grillet

Ombre et lumière #4

Nuit d'hiver

USA 76 - The House by the railroad

USA 76 - Skyscrapers

USA 76 - Ruines

USA 76 - Street

USA 76 - Window

Le Corridor

Dusk

Le labyrinthe

Train fantôme

Grand Bazar

Ateliers

La roue