Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Titled ‘The School of Athens’, the Greek Pavilion examines the architecture of the academic commons – from Plato’s Academy to contemporary university designs. Referencing Raphael’s famous fresco, the pavilion is transformed into a stepped landscape – an open, informal, and common space that will invite visitors to interact with fifty-six 3D-printed models of educational spaces from around the world and different architectural periods, both built and unbuilt. Installation of the ‘The School of Athens’ pictured here with photography by Ugo Carmeni.

26 May – 25 November; Giardini delle Biennale

Helmed by curators Ifat Finkelman, Deborah Pinto Fdeda, Oren Sagiv and Tania Coen-Uzzielli, the Israeli Pavilion presents ‘In Status Quo: Structures of Negotiation’, an exhibition that explores how regulatory standards were set to manage conflicts and facilitate co-existence in the Holy places. Five case studies reveal different Holy spaces including Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mughrabi Ascent, Western Wall Plaza, Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb and investigates Israel’s disputed territoriality and fragile system of coexistence.

26 May – 25 November; Giardini delle Biennale

‘Lifescapes Beyond Bigness’ will explore the interplay of architecture and social life across four UAE urban landscapes: residential neighborhoods; networks of streets and sikkak (alleyways); urban blocks; and natural spaces. The display will feature a series of photographs, typological maps, graphs of behavioural data, architectural drawings, case studies, and three-dimensional models, curated by Dr. Khaled Alawadi, Emirati architect and urban planner, and Assistant Professor of Sustainable Urbanism at Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Institute.

26 May – 25 November; Arsenale Di Venezia

For the third exhibition produced in the framework the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s ‘Hors-les-murs’ programme, the Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia presents artist Ian Cheng’s work ‘Emissary Forks At Perfection’. Cheng’s explores self-generating digital simulations in the form of large, immersive, audio-visual projections. His works, a blend of cognitive sciences, computer programming and video-game aesthetics, explore the potential of new technologies with sensitivity and acuity.

24 May – 25 November; Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia, Calle del Ridotto 1353

The French pavilion, ‘Infinite Places’, highlights 10 exemplary projects located across France that have been developed for abandoned buildings – from former office to former funeral homes – located in outlying districts. Today they provide places for avant-garde projects, artists, creative individuals and groups, entrepreneurial or civic initiatives. The decision was made to re-use materials from the installation of the Studio Venezia project by XavierVeilhan (French Pavilion for the International Art Biennale of 2017) for the 2018 pavilion. The exhibition design is developed in collaboration with the collectif Etc, also in charge of the construction.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Trento, Giardini della Biennale

This exhibition presents 20 case studies that examine new notions of collective identity. Participating architects include He Wei from 3andwich Design, Atlas Studio, Stefano Boeri, Zuo Jin (curator Bishan Crafts Cooperative), Ou Ning (curator of the Kwan-Yen Project) and Vector Architects. Following its two previous instalments at the Venice Architecture Biennale, this is the third chapter of the Across Chinese Cities programme that continues exploring the rapport between the built environment and socio-economic processes of change in the contemporary Chinese context.

26 May – 18 October; Università Iuav di Venezia, Ca’ Tron, Santa Croce 1957; www.acrosschinesecities.org

The Australian Pavilion takes the theme ‘Repair’ to examine the separation between buildings and cities and the natural environment in Australia and present the consequences of what disregard to nature brings our environment. The exhibition notes a shift of thinking amongst built environment disciplines towards repairing the natural environment as a framework for urban form; as a reverse to urban sprawl. Presented by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Repair is seen as an approach to architectural thinking particularly relevant to Australian architects who work in one of the most diverse and ecologically sensitive landscapes in the world.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Trento, Giardini della Biennale

WallpaperSTORE* has teamed up with the Venetian Design Studio Zanellato/Bortotto, for the creation of its concept pop-up shop within DESIGN VE. Exhibition (Biennale Design Walks through Venice). The environment is a homage to Venice and its ‘Acqua Alta’ apocalyptic recurrent syndrome, when waters from the Canals & Laguna invade streets and campo around town, due to high tides. The STORE* will be serviced by local Venetian students architects giving hints of secret Venezia and Biennale walks around town. The space will house unique previews & limited editions pieces from some of our top Design partners: Minimalux, Salvatori, Venini, La Chance, L’Objet, Michael Anastassiades, Nason & Moretti – all available to purchase online. The design installation of the store is powered by local Italian metal furniture excellence De Castelli. Overlapping oxidations applied on brass, copper and iron – born from De Castelli’s exclusive research and ongoing study – create watercolors stratified effects that remind us of the waves that string on the shore; time and nature leave unique signs that can be reproduced by metals to tell stories that are reflected on the furniture.

20 May – 17 June, everyday 10:00-19:00; Latteria Moderna Berti, Viale Garibaldi, Sestiere Castello 1791; www.store.wallpaper.com

‘Station Russia’ explores the past, present and future of the Russian railways – looking at how people use them to negotiate the vast Russian landscape. The pavilion communicates how in Russia, railways have become a lifeblood for traversing the country and the exhibition presents sound and multimedia installations, photographs, models and artefacts by contemporary Russian architects, designers and artists who envision its past and future. Supported by JSC Russian Railways, the exhibition is also connected by its theme to the Russian Pavilion, inaugurated in 1914, which was designed by Alexey Shchusev, who was also responsible for the Kazansky Railway Station – the Moscow terminus of the line which first connected the capital with Ryazan, in the south east, to Kazakhstan and central Asia.

26 May – 25 November; Russian Pavilion, Giardini della Biennale; www.ruspavilion.com

Bridging architecture, fashion and photography, this is an exhibition showcasing work by the students of Instituto Marangoni in Paris. The team behind it, inspired by Issey Miyake’s fall/winter 2017 collection and the world of entomology, created a shoot that was photographed on location at the striking Museum of Insects in Poissy, France, designed by architecture firm AWP.

25 – 29 May; Calle Seconda dei Orbi, 5201; to visit by appointment, call +33 678 00 74 84

Joining the Venice Biennale celebrations for the first time ever, the National Pavilion of Pakistan will launch with an exhibition called ‘The Fold’. Focusing on Karachi, the country’s largest and most populous city, the exhibition was curated by design practice Coalesce Design Studio and Antidote Art & Design, a Dubai-based platform for artists and designers.

26 May – 25 November; Giardini Marinaressa Riva dei Sette Martiri

The Salon Suisse, a series of lectures, talks and culutral events inspired by the biennale’s theme, wil take place during the festival’s opening days, organised by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. Directed by architectural historian Marcel Bächtiger, cultural theorist Tim Kammasch and architect Stanislas Zimmermann, the program will explore architecture and its multidisciplinary connections, as well as its cultural and social relevance today.

26 May – 25 November; Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi, Campo S. Agnese; www.prohelvetia.ch

Focusing on the unfurnished interior of contemporary housing, the exhibition at the Swiss Pavilion is entitled ‘Svizzera 240: House Tour’. Presented by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, the piece celebrates a very particular form of architectural representation - the ‘house tour’ - and the special take on a residential interior that this creates. White walls, skirting board, wood or tile flooring and off-the-shelf components and fittings, all feature in the installation, in a ’labyrinthine sequence of interior perspectives’.
26 May - 25 November; La Biennale di Venezia – Svizzera, Giardini della Biennale; www.prohelvetia.ch

Assemble have designed a special installation for V-A-C Foundation, as well as the interior and exterior of its new restaurant in a composition inspired by the richness of Venetian floors. The space will launch during the biennale’s vernissage. The foundation will also present a new show entitled ‘The Explorers, Part One: James Richards and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’, curated by Iwona Blazwick, Director of the Whitechapel Gallery in London. Pictured, V-A-C Venice, Palazzo delle Zattere, photographed by Delfino Sisto Legnani.

25 May – 22 October; V_A_C Foundation, Palazzo delle Zattere; www.v-a-c.ru

Working around the timeless titular concepts, this exhibition is returning to the Venice Architecture Biennale for the fourth time. Bringing together a wide range of projects, seen through models, photography and drawings, by a rich international selection of architects, artists and students, the show will include a special installation by Daniel Libeskind entitled ‘Facing Gaia’.

26 May – 25 November 2018; Palazzo Bembo, Riva del Carbon; Palazzo Mora Strada Nova; Giardini Marinaressa Riva dei Sette Martiri

Visit Palazzo Grassi during the Venice Architecture Biennale for a series of special events around Tadao Ando’s ongoing transformation of the former Bourse de Commerce in Paris into a new permanent space for the Pinault Collection, to open in 2019. Offerings include free-guided tours of Ando’s works in Venice, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, and the wider Veneto region.

22 May – 25 November 2018; Palazzo Grassi, Campo San Samuele; www.palazzograssi.it

After undergoing a crucial and historic $3 million restoration, this year the Canadian Pavilion will reveal the restoration of its original 1957 design alongside its modern upgrades. Built by Italian firm BBPR, the pavilion design captures a moment of post-war symbolism and idealism. The architects wanted a pavilion that would respond to their philosophies of combining Modernism with the traditional vernacular and oppose the neutrality of the ‘white box’, all within the historic context of the Giardini. Canadian landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlanderhas lead the redesign of the gardens on the site with Bruce Gauthier of Enns Gauthier Landscape Architects, and the pavilion will feature an exhibition titled: ‘Canada Builds/Rebuilds a Pavilion in Venice’.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Giardini Pubblici; www.canadacouncil.ca

The exhibition ‘Robin Hood Gardens: A Ruin in Reverse’ invited Korean artist Do Ho Suh to document the architecture and interiors of the internationally recognised London estate currently under demolition. For the V&A’s third collaboration at Venice Architecture Biennale, this project highlights how the V&A has salvaged a three-storey section of each façade and the original interior fittings of two flats from the Brutalist estate designed by Alison and Peter Smithson and completed in 1972.

26 May – 25 November; Sale d’Armi A, Arsenale; www.vam.ac.uk

The Young Architects in Latin America exhibition, one of the official collateral events of the Biennale, is on view at the CA’ASI. The competition recognises architectural creativity across Latin America and received in 201 entries from 18 countries. Projects in the exhibition were selected by an international panel and were chosen for representing new ways of thinking.

26 May – 25 November; Cannaregio 6024, Campiello Santa Maria Nova; www.ca-asi.com

‘Free market’ examines the declining rural market square in Irish towns and looks to rediscover its potential as a public place of social, political and cultural exchange. Curated by a team of six young Irish architects and designers, the exhibition shows architectural models and drawings describing both the historic and contemporary conditions of Irish market towns. The space will perform as a real market square, offering an engaging place to meet and channeling textures, colours and sounds transported from the original context – and featuring its own Free Market Radio and newspaper entitled Free Market News.

26 May – 25 November; Arsenale Di Venezia; www.free-market.ie

New works from Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s ongoing Rubbing/Loving project, in which rubbings of interior spaces and everyday objects are created in a process that discloses and memorialises details of the artist’s surroundings, are being presented in Venice alongside the Biennale. He made the works at the STPI Creative Workshop in Singapore, where he returned several times a year over the past ten years to make rubbings of objects, fixtures and fittings attached to the walls. Reconstructed in three dimensions, the completed works exist at the boundary of drawing and sculpture. Suh has often drawn parallels between architectural space and the body, and in these works the paper functions as an second skin that bears the impression of his own touch in pastel, applied with the fingertips.

25 May – 7 July; Victoria Miro Venice, Il Capricorno, San Marco 1994; www.victoria-miro.com

Pritzker Prize 2017 winners, RCR arquitectes, represent Catalonia in Venice for 2018, with an exhibition at the Institut Ramon Llull. The architects introduce the public to a ‘dream’ that inspires or drives them: La Vila, a natural place of woodlands, water and memory where they were invited to build a pool in 2002 and have since been working on an open laboratory where creativity is generated and nature is explored.

26 May – 25 November; Calle Quintavalle, Castello 40; www.llull.cat

An exhibition of Swedish timber architecture displays the properties of the timeless and renewable raw material alongside cutting-edge technology. Located within the Biennale grounds at a space designated for Swedish events during the Architecture Biennale, the event will fill the greenhouse space with Ulrika Karlsson’s exhibit Plots, Prints and Projections, meanwhile a wooden pavilion, drawn by In Praise of Shadows Arkitektur, can be found in the park.

24 May – 25 November; Serra dei Giardini, Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi

Titled ‘Island’ and designed by Caruso St John and Marcus Taylor, the British Pavilion responds to the theme of Freespace through the construction of a new public space on the roof of the original building, offering visitors a meeting place or a unique viewing platform for the Giardini and the Lagoon. The Pavilion will be empty for the public to fill and will host a programme of events including poetry, performance and architectural debate. The conceptual ideas behind the island theme reference ideas about abandonment, reconstruction, sanctuary, Brexit, isolation, colonialism and climate change.

26 May – 25 November; British Pavilion, Viale Giardini Pubblici; www.venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org

Curated by Natalie Mossin, the Danish pavilion presents four projects that show innovation related to sustainability in collaboration with BLOX – Denmark’s new Freespace for architecture, design and sustainable development. The selected projects include; the new the Svinkløv Badehotel seaside hotel by Praksis Arkitekter; Virgin Hyperloop One by BIG; Material Based Method K2 by CITA; and Albertslund South by Vandkunsten. Each case study will be represented in the exhibition and can be compared as they each find local solutions, while demonstrating their potential in relation to the global development agendas they address.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Giardini Pubblici; www.dac.dk/possiblespaces

The Finnish pavilion transforms the Alvar Aalto-designed space into a temporary library. Titled ‘Mind-Building’, the exhibition explores the development of Finnish library architecture and showcases Finland’s leading role in developing the libraries of the future. The exhibition is conceived by the commissioner Hanna Harris, director of Archinfo Finland, and curator Dr Anni Vartola, architecture critic and architectural theorist, who present the public library as a case-study of ‘modern monumentality’ and reminds us of the values of the civic society and the power of education and knowledge.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Giardini Pubblici

GRAFT and Marianne Birthler curate the exhibition ‘Unbuilding Walls’ for the German Pavilion which responds to current debates on nations, protectionism and division. The presentation will focus on examples of urban and architectural design that address aspects of division and integration in society, inspired by Germany’s history of division during the existence of the Berlin Wall (1961–1989). Through analysing architectural projects on the former border strip, the question of what happened on this unprecedented void in the middle of a new capital will be examined.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Giardini Pubblici; www.graftlab.com

‘Spectres of the State Avant-garde’ is an imagined archive of the Korea Engineering Consultants Corp (KECC), a technical consultancy for architecture and civil engineering established by the government in 1963. The exhibition reconstructs a narrative about the state’s pursuit of a utopian society through oppressive government policy. Curated by Park Seong-tae, founding director of the Junglim Foundation in Seoul, the pavilion presents four projects by KECC from the late 1960s, all of which served as nation-building propaganda: The Expo Pavilion for Osaka Expo 1970; the utopian master plan for Yeouido; the Sewoon Arcades; and the Guro Industrial Exposition.

26 May – 25 November; Viale Giardini Pubblici; www.korean-pavilion.or.kr

Titled ‘Amplifying Nature’, Poland’s pavilion is brought to you by the CENTRALA architecture collective. The team have created a ‘floating imaginarium’ at the heart of the exhibition which examines the ‘planetary notion’ of architecture as well as works of Polish modernism from the second half of the 20th century. Curated by Anna Ptak and produced by the Zachęta – National Gallery of Art – the exhibition will look at how architecture effects human contact with nature day-to-day, comparing architecture to planetary processes such as gravity, water circulation, the day-night cycle. The pavilion design is by artist Iza Tarasewicz who has creatively interpreted these ideas into physical, artistic form.

26 May - 25 November; Viale IV Novembre; www.labiennale.art.pl

Titled ‘Dimensions of Citizenship’, the US Pavilion will ‘grapple with the meaning of citizenship as a cluster of rights and responsibilities at the intersection of legal, political, economic, and societal affiliations’. Exploring issues such as immigration and the impact of technology, the curators look at how architecture can be a tool in realising what it means to be a citizen of a nation today. The space will present works by architects, designers, artists, and thinkers who have examined themes of community engagement, political action, and public policy and are putting forward visions of future ways of belonging.

26 May - 25 November; Viale Giardini Pubblici; www.dimensionsofcitizenship.org

Curated by Kerem Piker and coordinated by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, the Pavilion of Turkey will present Vardiya (the Shift1), an open space for creative encounter and collaborative production. Located at the Sale d’Armi, Arsenale, Vardiya will offer a programme of public events, envisioned as a participatory platform for workshops, digital round table discussions and meetings. Piker’s curatorial programme opens up the space to 122 international architecture students, as well as academics, professionals, keynote speakers and visitors, inviting a diversity of voices to participate in a continuous process of learning and production.

26 May - 25 November; Sale d’Armi, Fondamenta Arsenale