The Architectural Association to Host ‘same same but different’ by Francisco Gaspar and Tawanda Chiweshe

Summary

• The AA presents same same but different by Francisco Gaspar and Tawanda Chiweshe, running from January 23 – March 21, 2026
• The exhibition explores their collaborative practice YY, shaped by prototyping and iterative design

The Architectural Association (AA) presents same same but different, an exhibition and residency by Francisco Gaspar and Tawanda Chiweshe running from January 23 to March 21 2026. This showcase marks the first public platform to explore the internal logic of their collaborative practice, YY, and builds upon their 2023 lecture, “Committing to Chaos”. The exhibition traces a methodology heavily influenced by their tenure at ALASKA ALASKA, where they worked alongside mentor Virgil Abloh on landmark projects for brands such as IKEA, Vitra and Braun.

Throughout the residency, the AA Gallery will be transformed into a live platform, incorporating contributions from an extended network of collaborators and an accompanying program of events. In dialogue with the AA Public Programme’s Term 2 theme “How We Live,” the exhibition distills a practice rooted in experimentation, self‑reflection and mediation between authorship and influence. By foregrounding the prototype as the most honest marker of their work, same same but different highlights Gaspar and Chiweshe’s ongoing exploration of design beyond conventional studio boundaries, offering audiences insight into a creative process that thrives on contradiction and continual reinvention.

Architectural Association School of Architecture
36 Bedford Square,
London WC1B 3ES,
United Kingdom