Vol. 12 Presenter: Lila Pickus
Presenting
Absence, Augmentation and Replication
Summary
Artifacts are material evidence of the passage of time. We rely on their aesthetic attributes — age, wear, degradation — to convince us of a specific narrative. However, not all stories have physical remnants. In that case, can the absence of artifact be a tool for storytelling? Can artifacts replicated through artificial methods hold the same narrative potential as the original? Ultimately, how important is the object to the story anyway? Through a series of precedent studies and personal work samples, “Absence, Augmentation and Replication” explores adaptive reuse architecture as curatorial practice, questioning the role of materiality and authenticity of artifacts in exhibiting place-based stories.
Bio
Lila Pickus is a spatial designer with a passion for storytelling. Her work, which straddles disciplines, explores site-specific narratives through the reuse of buildings, landscapes, and discarded materials. Working two-dimensionally as a printmaker and three-dimensionally as an interior architect, Lila’s research and creative practice draws on physical traces of memory to explore the intersection of architecture, fine art, history, and exhibition design.
Lila holds a Master of Design in Interior Architecture, Adaptive Reuse from the Rhode Island School of Design, and a Bachelor of Studio Art from Colorado College. She currently works as an Assistant Project Manager at JenkinsGavin, Inc.