Catalogue > At random

WHEN ONE DOOR OPENS emerges as an exploration of the intricate dynamics between authorship, representation, and history. Drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking methodologies of Arthur Jafa and the evocative aesthetics of Christian Marclay. Eschewing from the conventional confines of mainstream cinema, the filmwork delves deep into the rich tapestry of found footage, excavating and appropriating the untold narratives embedded within race films predominantly from the period immediately after the pre-Code era. In this respect it presents itself as a counterpoint to established somewhat one-dimensional work of Marclay. Through a, seemingly circuitous, narrative lens, WHEN ONE DOOR OPENS challenges conventional notions of identity and belonging, inviting viewers to confront the complexities of historical representation. Each frame serves as a portal to a bygone era, where characters navigate through the architectural spaces of both literal and metaphorical significance. The film's exploration of movement within these spaces resonates with profound symbolism, illustrating the transformative power of cinematic storytelling. Ultimately, standing as a testament to the enduring allure of cinema and the implied spaces as a medium for capturing and reimagining the complexities of human experience.

EWA EFFIOM is a London-based Belgo-Nigerian architect, writer and producer. Image Culture, Futurism and Mythology are recurring themes in his work with a focus on their association to space. He was a member of the Architecture Foundation’s New Architecture Writers’ second cohort which culminated in a critically acclaimed public programme and has been published in the Architect’s Newspaper, Dwell, the AJ, ICON, Wallpaper, Frame, OnOffice, Architecture Aujourd'hui, the Modern House magazine, A Daily Dose and Ex Libris amongst others. His piece Architecture, Buildings and Conservation in MAJA was nominated for best piece in the 2022 Estonian Architecture Awards a year after he came second place in the Tallinn Architecture Biennale’s 2021 Curatorial Competition with a proposal entitled Adaptive Re-use. His film Eagle Mansions was premiered at the 2021 Urban Film Festival in Perth and screened at 2022 Melbourne Design Week, before he was awarded the 2022 How To Residency at the Canadian Centre for Architecture entitled “How Not To Be A Developer.” 2022 was also the year that his second film “Beck Road” premiered at the Open City festival before screening at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale. He was a 2023 LINA Fellow and awarded both the Film Lab residency at the MAXXI Museum in Rome where he made “When One Door Opens” which screened at Demanio Marritimo-278 before being shown at restless architecture exhibition curated by Diller Scofidio and Renfro at the MAXXI Museum. He also took part in the Theatrum Mundi Staging Ground Residency with his collaborative exploration of infrastructural change in Paris in the aftermath of the Olympics. He later returned to LINA to give the State of Architecture Address in 2025 which was met with critical acclaim which was a plea for the archtiecture industry to return to imagination. Though he hasn’t been a lecturer at MA in Architecture + Urbanism at the Manchester School of Architecture since 2022, he is still a visiting critic at the Estonian Institute of Technology and London Metropolitan University.