UTS professors Charles Rice and Amanda Clarke are captivated by this year’s less-publicised exhibitions.
November 10th, 2010
Belgian Pavilion
The Belgian Pavilion proved to be a welcome surprise, able to be as much at home in the Art as the Architecture Biennale.
Architects and anthropologists Rotor presented used materials as if they were minimalist sculptures or abstract images. A deconstructed white plinth could be a homage to Robert Ryman, a set of stair treads a nod to Donald Judd, or a kerb edge from a metro station a celebration of Carl Andre.
While such a presentation, seen architecturally, could simply be dismissed as another version of the poetics of everyday materials, the precision of the installation and the dryness of the wall labels produced a distancing effect. There was no ‘essential materiality’ on show here, but rather a strange and beautiful reinvestigation of surfaces in the context of their display as art.
Dutch Pavilion
The Dutch Pavilion, entitled Vacant NL, exhibited the results of urban research into the potential reuse of unoccupied buildings.
We have come to expect a rather dry presentation of facts and figures in these sorts of research-based exhibitions, but the Dutch team of Rietveld Landscape managed literally to ‘model’ the extent of Holland’s unoccupied buildings as an urban field, an entire blue-foam city.
Through their promotion of the idea of interim or temporary use, this modelling provided a palpable image, and entire city of new activity able to be extracted from existing building stock.
The political strategy of the pavilion was also interesting to observe. Rather than being a set piece of professional propaganda or achievement, the Dutch pavilion, commissioned by the Netherlands Architecture Institute, constructed a precise and deliberate argument in the context of the emerging innovation policies of the Dutch government.
French Pavilion
French architect Dominique Perrault is the curator of the French Pavilion this year. His project tackles the topic of “Metropolis.”
The theme aimed to demonstrate that a metropolis itself is not a city but rather a territory mostly comprised of empty and available spaces. Consequently, the perception of these voids as the places where all possibilities can still be realized guides the approach to the subject and overall exhibition design of the pavilion.
Walls of the pavilion were covered from floor to ceiling with film projections, promoting a sense of virtual inhabitation of the 5 French territories in question. The interplay of screens and mirrors exponentially increased images and sensations, placing the participant in an immersive sensory environment with little choice but to engage with the discourse being proposed.
Though at times the message was a little overstated and sensationalized, the proposal was well produced, and dare I say entertaining. The strength of this exhibit lay in its integrated approach to the subject, and demonstration of this approach through the exhibition design.
For more on the Venice Biennale, visit Amanda Clarke’s blog:
arch-exhibit.blogspot.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Here we present 9 projects and designers leading us towards a culturally informed future that puts caring for Country and connection to Country and First Nations culture at the centre of both practice and outcome.
Surf’s up with the latest project from renowned architecture and design practice Warren and Mahoney. Mona Vale’s Surf Life Saving Club is an exemplar building that serves both people and place with aplomb, epitomising an aspect of the great Australian way of life through a stellar new building.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Wood Marsh’s 40-year legacy shines through landmark infrastructure projects. Recently completing stunning stations at Coburg and Moreland, their designs blend modernity with community needs.
The AIA Alta Wellness Haven offers the complete package for health and wellbeing away from the busy city life in Hong Kong and does it through a stellar interior design.