Venice Biennale (2016–)
2018: FREESPACE
The 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara explores the theme of FREESPACE, focusing, in the words of President Paolo Baratta, ‘on the question of space, the quality of space, open and free space’. Drawings have a substantial and important presence.
Freespace is ‘a word which describes a generosity of spirit and a sense of humanity at the core of architecture’s agenda’ according to the curators. It was perhaps notable not only how this manifested itself in drawing – be it the original or reproduction but how many and how differently drawing was used to explore the theme of free space. Explorations ranged from that of the facade; to investigations of the shed, temple, niche, stoa, floor and ground through historical and contemporary practitioners; to architectural ethnography within the Japanese Pavilion, to finally, Sigurd’s Lewerentz’s churches set within the landscape.
Elizabeth Hatz, Line Light Locus (installation & publication)
Line, Light, Locus was an installation by Elizabeth Hatz at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale. It was made using 133 pigmented prints of original drawings from Drawing Matter in Somerset, ArkDes in Stockholm, the architects’ private archives and a large hand drawing by Hatz on a specially designed table-bench.
Japan Pavilion: Architectural Ethnography
The Japan Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Biennale in Venice was lined with drawings gathered together under the name of Architectural Ethnography. Momoyo Kaijima of Atelier Bow Wow has been developing the thinking underlying this method of observing and recording the human environment since the late 1990s, beginning from the premise that ethnography is the ‘representation of a society and culture of a specific ethnic group based on fieldwork.’
Helen Thomas on the Pavilion installation.
Freestanding: Sigurd Lewerentz
The Facade is the Window to the Soul of Architecture
2016: Reporting from the Front