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M+, Hong Kong, © NADIA KAABI-LINKE
Nadia Kaabi-Linke 納迪婭．卡比林克
Modulor 模矩
2014
Modulor is the first in a series of works by Nadia Kaabi-Linke investigating the sizes of prison cells in different countries. An installation with the qualities of a drawing, Modulor superimposes the rectangular measurements of the cells to define an overlapping grid on a wall and the floor. From afar, the abstracted shapes appear as beautiful forms, but a closer view reveals the names and geographic locations of the prisons. The work’s title refers to a system of proportions based on an idealised male body developed by the influential modernist architect Le Corbusier, who advocated for its use in designing buildings. Kaabi-Linke’s practice often combines the sparse geometries, materiality, and spatial awareness of minimalism with rigorous research into social, cultural, and political conditions. For her, the process of research is as important as the final product. Modulor examines confinement, captivity, and control both physically and metaphorically. The installation raises questions about the design of prison cells and how such spaces are inhabited and experienced. By analysing the rooms’ ratios and minimum conditions for a person, the installation also draws comparisons to dwellings and the rationalising effects of architecture. Through subtle but evocative methods, Kaabi-Linke’s works visualise challenging historical and contemporary issues in a refined formal language.
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