Pavilion of Protest

ZAP is the artistic collaboration of Zohra Chiheb and Pol Gallagher. They have recently conducted an online survey about the cost of architectural education and in collaboration with the RIBA have initiated a 6 week exhibition in November entitled ‘Pavilion of Protest’ showcasing the shocking results of over 1,400 architectural students. The exhibition will be at the Florence Hall at the RIBA, 66 Portland Place. The inspiration derived from bags of receipts the two have collected throughout 7 years of architectural education with a view to creating an art piece with the receipts. This was deemed a commentary on the expenditure of an architecture student versus the remuneration expected once qualified. This became topical in 2011 with the governments ambition to treble tuition fees and the architectural press exposing firms that exploit the ‘unpaid intern’. ZAP began to create reactionary drawings about how architecture is turning into a sport where only the bourgeois can afford to participate. ZAP have launched an architectural drawing competition to celebrate the wealth of architectural talent among students; “the type of talent that should never work for free”. In collaboration with the Sheffield University School of Architecture – Master’s students are creating a focal ‘pavilion of protest’ as a centre piece to the exhibition. This is sure to ignite commentary and criticism from the media regarding the state of architectural education, whilst romantically exhibiting the talent that exists in UK schools of architecture. It is a celebration of student defiance, positively engaging with the architectural world and the public through creative intervention. The exhibition is open to the public from Saturday the 5th of November at the Florence Hall, RIBA headquarters, 66 Portland Place. All selected artworks will be for sale as will the pavilion itself.