Neighbourhood 1980 - 2007

Editor: This is León Ferrari’s "Neighbourhood," undated, housed at the Tate. It's a complex aerial view of a city, meticulously rendered. It feels almost unsettling, like a maze designed for control. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s a powerful visual statement. Given Ferrari’s history of critiquing political power and oppression in Argentina, consider this "Neighbourhood" as a commentary on urban planning and social control. Editor: So, the maze-like structure isn't just aesthetic? Curator: Precisely. Think about how urban spaces can dictate movement, restrict access, and reinforce social hierarchies. How does Ferrari use the bird's-eye view to possibly implicate those in power? Editor: It gives a sense of surveillance, of constant oversight. I never thought of urban planning as a form of control. Curator: Ferrari invites us to consider architecture and urban design as extensions of power structures. The personal is political, but so is the pavement beneath our feet. Editor: Wow, I'll never look at a city map the same way again. Curator: Indeed. Art can be a powerful tool for questioning the spaces we inhabit and the forces that shape them.