Join us for the opening of the first chapter of Groundwork, a film and exhibition series exploring the field research of contemporary architects, on 7 May. The event will begin with a talk by Xu Tiantian (DnA_Design and Architecture) at 6pm in the Paul Desmarais Theatre.

As the subject of the first film and exhibition Into the Island, Xu Tiantian will present her work and her involvement in rural revitalization processes in China, including ongoing projects on Meizhou Island, off the Chinese coast. In conversation with Francesco Garutti (Associate Director, Programs, CCA), she will also discuss her approach to “architectural acupuncture” as well as her connections to the local context and territory.

This event introduces the first chapter of our three-part Groundwork series, curated by Francesco Garutti. Throughout the series, documentary films created with director Joshua Frank serve as curatorial tools to reveal the thought processes, research, and transformative moments that occur in the early stages of architectural projects. In the context of the ecological crisis, the project explores how contemporary architects from different geographies, who cultivate alternative modes of engagement with project sites, position themselves in relation to the changing boundaries of the field.

The galleries will be accessible starting at 5pm, and the evening will conclude with a celebration in the Shaughnessy House from 7pm to 9pm.

This event is free and open to the public.

Xu Tiantian (Fujian, 1975) earned a Bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University of Beijing and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. After working in the United States and the Netherlands for OMA, she founded the studio DnA_Design and Architecture in Beijing. In 2006, she received the WA China Architecture Award and in 2008 the Young Architects Award from The Architectural League New York. In 2019 she was awarded the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture. In March 2018, an exhibition about her work, Rural Moves – The Songyang Story, opened at AEDES Architecture Forum in Berlin.