Dispossession is a video artwork composed of 65 still images taken by the artist in a location in Southern Italy. Through this photo-roman, Heidi Locher presents a full investigation of a temporary structure: a hut and its surroundings. The piece forms part of an installation of the same name which is presented in an exhibition at TRACE Projects Berlin in April 2018. The exhibition curated by Brunno Silva combines photography, sculpture, projection and other formats inspired by the artist’s personal observations of the space.

Working across architectural forms and visual art, Heidi Locher’s work is a celebration and examination of the idiosyncrasies and inventiveness that arise when a building is made away from the influences of architecture. The building being recreated has already been reconfigured by nature, human hands, and tools. Where in blueprints there is no room for improvisation, it is still possible to discover sites where untrained builders engineer spaces for living, working and resting. Regardless of the lack of formal architectural education, these improvised structures utilise core elements of architecture in inventive ways.

As well as exploring the facets and textures of the structure, Dispossession also looks at the relation between architecture and art as an ongoing dialogue in stretching concepts and materials. By isolating and enhancing details Locher illustrates the tense architectonic boundary where the hut exists, in a new sort of harmony. Dispossession, illuminates the intriguing forms of the building while emphasising in the fluidity of the fabrics attached to the hut, that serve simultaneously as a wall, window and door.