Maite Iribarren Vázquez

All Warm Light Conduit R-58 Traffic Stripe 32 sq in of Reinforcement Newtown Creek Buoy Lo que queda queda Randomized structure Corrrected Family Structure

Conduit, Stormwater drainage, 2023

Conduit, Awning, 2023

Conduit, Button, 2023

Conduit was a three person show in an industrial liminal space in Maspeth, Queens, NY.

Stormwater drainage
PVC pipes, rubber tubbing, funnel, cotton, water from Newtown Creek
19”x3”x8”

Awning
conduit pipe, PVC plastic fabric
12.5’x6’x3.6’

Button
gypsum board, spring, speaker, hardware
15”x34”x1.5”

In Conduit, standardized architectural components are used to abbreviate space, defining “in” versus “out” and enabling or preventing flow. A space is defined by its boundaries with water, light, and other spaces. These standard architectural components become conduits mediating the movement of bodies, goods, water, light, and energy. In our contemporary context, space is only legitimized by its enclosure. Without abbreviations to bound it, a space seems to not exist. Conduit dissects the non-space of the abbreviation itself. The works draw out the liminal space that exists in transitional architectural features. They amplify and distort their physical forms and embodied labor.

Stormwater drainage
Three PVC pipes, conforming to requirements for storm water drainage as per the International Plumbing Code, cut through a wall. Water from Newtown Creek, a severely contaminated waterway just blocks away from this intervention, drips from both sides of the drainage pipes. Small puddles form both in the gallery, on one side of the wall and in a narrow hallway that must be crossed to enter the space, on the other side of the wall.

Awning
This backward, inside out, translucent awning with double curvature, acted as a warm filter for all the light coming in and out of this space.

Button is a spring loaded sheet of drywall. When pressed, the drywall button activates a 17 minute audio piece. The audio is a compilation of worker tragedy narratives distilled from dozens of hours of OSHA training videos presented by a jovial but unmoved voice.