On 22 May, the 17th Architecture Biennale opened in Venice under the general title “How shall we live together?”. It includes both national and individual projects. The Russian pavilion is an unusual hybrid exposition inspired by the pandemic and its impact.
The Russian exposition consists of the reconstructed pavilion itself, built at the Giardini by architect Alexei Shchusev in 1914, as well as a part related to virtual reality.
«I am very proud of the Russian pavilion, it is now completely different — transparent, airy, you can see immediately its connection to the lagoon and the Giardini gardens. We have brought back the terrace, which gives the building a unique character”, — has said Teresa Iarocci Mavica, commissioner of the Russian pavilion. She has explained that the design, selected following an open competition by the Russian-Japanese bureau “KASA”, realised in collaboration with the curator of the pavilion Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli and bureau “2050.plus”, has been based on serious research of archival materials. It has made it possible not only to restore the original appearance of the building, but also to revisit Shchusev’s ideas.
“Now Shchusev’s future-oriented architecture will become clear. This is a form of simple garden architecture, a pergola”, — has said Teresa Iarocci Mavica. According to her, the architectural change of the space changes the concept of the pavilion as a cultural institution.
The Venice Biennale is one of the most famous art forums, an international art exhibition. It is held every two years with an international jury. This year it takes place at two traditional locations — the Arsenale (the historic Venetian shipyards) and the Giardini Park. The exhibition runs until 21 November.
Source: tass.ru