Commissioned by Mirrorlamp Press

Banbha McCann, presents a body of work inspired by a Japanese hotel repeatedly demolished and rebuilt: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel Tokyo. Originally constructed in 1920 in the Mayan Revival style, the hotel was an architectural marvel until its demolition began in 1967, making way for a nondescript high-rise. For McCann, creating
this work became a process of imagining herself inside the now-absent 1920s hotel, grappling with a deep sense of loss.The feelings stirred by the building’s demolition seemed tied to more than just its architectural design or the legacy of its iconic creator; they reflected a collective decision to ‘give up’ on the ideas and vision the hotel onceembodied. In this sense, McCann’s work invites viewers to reflect on how we navigate the tension between preservation and progress, and the emotional landscapes shaped by what we choose to let go.

GWEN BURLINGTON