James Florio at Tippet Rise

Free and open to everyone.

Large-format film photographer James Florio explores the radical landscape of Tippet Rise, a 15,000-acre tract in the Montana wilderness. Home to large scale sculptural installations, Florio originally began to photograph the art pieces but gradually became more and more transfixed with the land itself.

During this program, attendees will be able to watch James Florio at Tippet Rise, a 17-minute documentary directed by Jeffrey Peixoto. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Florio moderated by Iker Gil, founder and editor in chief of MAS Context. A selection of print materials will be on view at the space.

Thanks to for partnering for this program.

James Florio is a Montana-based photographer focused on the built environment and the life surrounding it. He works slowly whenever possible, visiting a place repeatedly to gain a greater understanding of it and to deliver a thoughtful and profound interpretation. He is currently working on several long-term projects documenting the unique changes of nature, climate, and time on architecture and landscapes. Using the camera as a means to investigate, understand, and document, he prefers to work with large format film for its depth and deliberation.

Iker Gil is a founding partner at MAS Studio, editor in chief of the nonprofit MAS Context, and executive director of the SOM Foundation. Iker has edited or coedited several books including Radical Logic: On the Work of Ensamble Studio and Shanghai Transforming. He has curated multiple exhibitions including Nocturnal Landscapes, Poured Architecture: Sergio Prego on Miguel Fisac, and BOLD: Alternative Scenarios for Chicago, part of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial. He was Associate Curator of the US Pavilion for the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale and cocurator of Exhibit Columbus 2020–2021. He was the 2024 Morgenstern Visiting Chairs at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and the Escola da Cidade (São Paulo).

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