Paris Exhibition Explores the "Architecture of Thought" in Carlos A. Schwartz Retrospective
The Instituto Cervantes in Paris is hosting The Infinite Library, a retrospective of architect and photographer Carlos A. Schwartz that explores the intimate workspaces of renowned writers through 85 evocative images.
Paris has become the center of a new exhibition exploring the culture of writing. The Instituto Cervantes is currently hosting The Infinite Library, a retrospective of 40 years of work by Tenerife-born architect and photographer Carlos A. Schwartz. Part of the programming for the Paris Photo 2026 fair, the exhibition is free to the public and will run until February 5, 2027.
Curated by Carmelo Vega, the exhibition features 85 photographs that go beyond simple documentation to explore the "architecture of thought." The collection offers an intimate look at the private workspaces of notable writers, including Ian Gibson, Martín Caparrós, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and Sergio del Molino. This project began in 1986 when Schwartz documented the personal archive of Domingo Pérez Minik in Tenerife, marking the start of a long-term study on how reading spaces and objects hold symbolic meaning.
The exhibition highlights Schwartz’s unique background as an architect—a profession he has practiced since graduating from the Barcelona School in 1968—combined with his artistic eye. Rather than just cataloging bookshelves, his images use light and geometry to create a narrative of their own.
A significant figure in Canarian culture, Schwartz is well-known for his role in the I International Exhibition of Sculptures in the Street. This latest exhibition serves as a testament to his career-long focus on the relationship between image and word. By turning the physical environment of writing into a subject in its own right, Schwartz invites viewers to reflect on the role of books in the modern world.