Homage to The Square Art Space Proposal

In his 1,000+ piece series Homage to the Square, Josef Albers explored how color behaves in relation to its surroundings, distinguishing between “factual color” (color in isolation) and “actual color” (color in context). Through the precise placement of hues, he revealed how one color can alter the vibrancy, opacity, and intensity of another, creating depth and illusion within a seemingly flat composition.

Because Albers saw color as inherently relational, he taught that its nature could only be understood through experience and experimentation. This proposal translates that philosophy into spatial terms: a gallery designed to house each work safely while allowing viewers to move and reposition pieces, forming new color relationships and shifting visual effects. The design considers lighting, storage, and the viewer’s vantage point of perception, creating a space that remains in dialogue with Albers’s study of how we see.