Lecture by Odile Decq ’Beyond the Looking Glass

One of the most renowned contemporary French architects, Odil Decq, will give a lecture titled ’Beyond the Looking Glass ‘ on Friday, 20 June, at 5.30 p.m., at the  SASA Grand Hall. Only a day later, on Saturday, 21 June, at 7 p.m., her first eponymous solo exhibition will be unveiled at the DOTS Gallery.

The lecture will offer an overview of this versatile architect’s creative process, whose recognisable, fluid work bridges architecture, design, art and urban planning.

Odile Decq’s multi-decade-long creative output is marked by a continuous exploration of space across various media and scales—from urban landscapes to everyday objects. Whether designing the MACRO Museum in Rome, restaurant interiors such as Phantom in the Opéra Garnier in Paris, or furniture for the UNESCO Headquarters, Decq consistently challenges traditional norms, seeking bold solutions that push the boundaries of the familiar, feasible, and acceptable.

Her expressive and unconventional personality, which distinguished her in the architectural scene of the 1970s, is evident in her work through dynamic forms, bold geometries, vibrant colours, and unexpected combinations of materials. She gained international acclaim in 1990 with her first major project, the Banque Populaire de l’Ouest in Rennes, which received ten national and international awards.

Among her most significant projects are the Archaeological Museum in Tangshan (China), the FRAC Bretagne museum in Rennes, the headquarters of GL Events in Lyon, the Le Twist office building in Paris, and the Antares residential building in Barcelona.

As a visiting professor, she has taught at universities in London, Vienna, Düsseldorf, Los Angeles, and New York. In 2014, she founded the Confluence Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture in Paris, accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture (1996), the Emerging Voices Award, the Jane Drew Award (2016), and the Architizer A+ Lifetime Achievement Award (2017). She has also been honored with France’s highest distinctions: the Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur), the Order of Arts and Letters (Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres), and the Order of Merit (Commandeur de l’Ordre du Mérite).

The exhibition at the DOTS Gallery will remain open to the public until 30 August.

The live streaming of the event is available via the link https://www.sanu.ac.rs/direktan-prenos/.