3A Gallery

Heidi Schlatter 

80/20 

March 1, 2021 – April 4th, 2021

Photos by Alex Yudzon

3A gallery presents a solo exhibition, 80/20 by Heidi Schlatter. With this work, Schlatter further explores her central theme of the relationship between architecture and systems of power.

In light box displays, grainy midair drone shots of urban residential building sites present views of unfinished, cave-like spaces not usually visible from the street. Images of raw materials are frozen mid-construction, single bulbs illuminate multiple floors, glittering like priapic jewels in the night sky. In the context of the current polarized economic environment, this exhibit considers the subtle violence presented by the ubiquity of these luxury buildings. Its title is taken from the real estate term “80/20”, often used when a certain percentage of apartments in new construction can be given over to affordable housing, which in reality are often a justification for market-rate subterfuge. 

“There is a fundamental principle known as the “80/20 rule”. This is also often called the “Pareto Principle”. It was named after an Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, over a century ago in 1895. He noticed that people in society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the “vital few”, or the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the “trivial many”, or the bottom 80 percent. Later, he discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle…Pareto’s 80/20 rule can be applied to almost any situation and is profoundly relevant to being a successful realtor.”-Joseph James Realtors

“I’m not paying 17 million for a penthouse when the balcony ‘ain’t even in the living room!” – Michael Sorkin (What Goes Up)

Press:

The Manhattan Art Review