The Australian Institute of Architects have announced that architect Ivan Rijavec and photographer John Gollings will be the Creative Directors for the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale Australian Pavilion.

With their two-part exhibition, ‘NOW + WHEN Australian Urbanism’, the pair will explore three of Australia’s urban regions as they are now and how they could be in the year 2100.

The announcement comes just a few months after Ms Janet Holmes à Court AC was revealed as the 2010 Venice Biennale Commissioner.

Commenting on the choice of the Creative Directors, Ms Holmes à Court said: “I have every confidence that the appointment of our 2010 Creative Director team – led by John Gollings and Ivan Rijavec – affords us a great head-start in the promotion of the nation’s incredibly rich and diverse architectural talent.”

Gollings and Rijavec will head up the full Creative Directors team, which also includes graphic designer David Pidgeon, astrophysicist Professor Jeffrey Shaw, architect and sound designer Nick Murray and 3D experts Sam Slicer and Daniel Flood.

Opening in September next year the Venice Architecture Biennale is expected to attract visitors in excess of 130,000 with the 2008 Australian Pavilion welcoming more 52,000 people.

Stay tuned for more information on the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale as the date draws closer.

architecture.com.au/venicebiennale

3D Rendering of the exhibition by Floodslicer

Layout of the exhibition space

Aerial Photograph – John Gollings