Of our two real days in Venice, one was almost entirely devoted to the Biennale exhibition in the Arsenale and the Giardini. As usual, we were completely rushed and had only a half-day to see what should be weeks worth of presentations, exhibitions and installations. This Biennale was packed with installations and projects, from a spiral pathway that brought you into the clouds to a horizontal fabric façade floating above your head.
My expectations for my first Architecture Biennale might have been a bit high, but I have to admit that I was a little unimpressed with the overall show. This may also be due to the many unbelievably great museums we have recently visited as well (and I dislike museums). I was discouraged by the abundant use of projected screens all over the place, most simply looping a short clip. In addition, I found that pavilions simply had too much, sometimes housing three or four separate projects. There was also many more lengthy texts, that had to be read in order to understand the idea, than I thought necessary. I thought that as a show celebrating architecture (experimental too), hosted and produced by leading architects, there would be more physical installations and spectacular objects- instead of the traditional and boring projection and poster presentations… I guess we just didn’t have time for the academics. Thankfully, there was plenty spectacle to go with it.
By far, the material exhibited in the Arsenale was far more captivating than the projects and pavillions in the Giardini. The Arsenale, a former industrial 300-metere long series of huge spaces now transformed to accommodate the Biennale, was particularly engaging as it choreographed sound, light (or lack thereof in the case of Transsolar and Tetsu Kondo Architects’ space) and even smell as one moved from one installation to another. There was a room only lit by water splatter, suspended in the air, as strobe lights caught it shooting out of a dangling hose. Another room allowed you to plug yourself into hundreds of one-on-one interviews with famous figures.
I regret not having more time to spend at the Biennale and in Venice. The Biennale’s location in Venice is also fabulous in itself. On a bright sunny day, having lunch at a café on the Rive dei sette Mariri looking at Piazza San Marco in the distance was perfect.
