Parliament

Amsterdam-based office XML explores the complex relationship between space and politics by documenting and comparing the plenary halls of the parliaments of all 193 United Nations member states. Whether arranged in a semicircle or horseshoe, as opposing benches or classroom style, the seats in these halls not only offer clues to a nation's history, but also the atmosphere in which its laws are shaped. Comparing contexts between divergent geographical locations and governments, both democratic and authoritarian, the lexicon addresses these spaces as more than symbolic representations of national values, portraying them as actors in the shaping of our shared future.