The Architecture + Design Film Series | The Proposal

Directed by Jill Magid (2018, USA, 86 mins) Upon the death of architect Luis Barragan in 1988, much of his design work was privately purchased and concealed from the world’s view. In this film, artist Jill Magid creates a daring proposition that becomes a fascinating artwork in itself, an act of negotiation that explores how far an artist will go to democratize access to art.

The Architecture + Design Film Series, shown monthly in Brattleboro and Burlington, continues with a screening of THE PROPOSAL (2018, Directed by Jill Magid, USA, 86 min), the shocking story of one artist’s attempt to democratize the privately-held archives of Mexico’s most famous architect, Luis Barragán, on Wednesday, January 22 at 6:30 pm at 118 Elliot in downtown Brattleboro. All film showings are free and open to all.

Called “the artist among architects,” Luis Barragán is Mexico’s most famous architect, known for bold shapes and colors such as Mexico City’s Torres de Satélite, designed in collaboration with Mathias Goeritz. Upon his death in 1986, Barragán’s treasured archives fell under the control of a Swiss woman, Federica Zanco, who allows only limited public access to them at her foundation in Basel. The Proposal details Jill Magid’s dogged attempt to mount an exhibition of Barragán’s works, following Magid’s correspondence with Zanco and her final culminating effort, a stunt which one news outlet called “a ghoulish plot.” 

The Architecture + Design Film Series, started six years ago in Burlington, selects diverse films celebrating design in all its various forms.  Their success in Burlington led local architect Jim Williams, who designed the popular 118 Elliot, to extend the series’ reach to the opposite end of the state in Brattleboro with support from the American Institute of Architects Vermont Chapter (AIAVT) and numerous local business and individual sponsors.  Now the monthly screenings are held simultaneously in Burlington and in Brattleboro at 118 Elliot through April 2020. Film showings are free and open to all, presented to foster understanding and stimulate conversation about the impact of design and beauty in our daily lives.

The Architecture + Design Film Series website www.adfilmseries.org tells the history of the film series and presents film trailers for movies in this upcoming season. 118 Elliot is a modern, fully accessible arts and educational center in downtown Brattleboro. Learn more at www.118Elliot.com.