Fundamentals: Venice Architecture Biennale

When we talk about Venice Biennale, the entire sector thinks about the one related to contemporary art, thus forgetting about the biennale dedicated to architecture, which represents one of the architectural exhibition hits that mark trends and gather architects and theoreticians from around the globe in that city where decadence becomes beauty. The director of the 13th edition of this Biennale, Rem Koolhaas (1944, Rotterdam, Holland), has been a remarkable architect for decades. His work has been aimed at giving a new twist to the present situation as market sets trends, he has tried to look at the specific elements, review the history of each country, include knowledge as an outstanding material in terms of construction, as well as intelligence. This is how the Biennale goes beyond an exhibit and becomes a debate, research and thinking forum. Fundamentals is the title leading the debate and activities, and the three shows are named Elements of Architecture, Absorbing Modernity and Monditalia.

65 countries participate in this edition of the Biennale, following the structure of national representation in each country’s pavilion, although this structure is open to the presence of architects from some countries in other nations’ pavilions, and that is the case Spanish Andrés Jaque in Switzerland’s pavilion and Daniel Fernández Pascual in the United States’ section, where Catalonian Eva Franch i Gilabert is a member of the curatorial team. The curator of the Spanish presence, entitled Interior, is architect Iñaki Abalos (1956, San Sebastián), current Director of the Architecture Department in the Graduate School of Design of Harvard and professor of the Higher Technical Architecture School of Madrid. Spain’s pavilion showcases twelve impressive works, making emphasis on the inner space and the construction of environments. Most of these twelve works target the rehabilitation of abandoned buildings. (I Giardini, Venice, June 5 - November 23).

Source: EXIT Express