Turkey
Darzana is a term that refers to the common origin of the Turkish word tersane and the Italian word arsenale, both meaning "shipyard." It also denotes a "frank" architecture of the maritime reality of port cities and naval architecture, bridging the diverse building cultures of the Mediterranean. The Ottoman Empire's arsenal in Istanbul, now in a state of neglect, is a potential battleground for various urban actors. A ship will be dismantled in the abandoned arsenal and transported to Venice, symbolizing a common heritage and promoting reconciliation between past and present frontiers.
Supermarket sweep… the Latvian pavilion which has been transformed into a minimart.
This contribution brings a little levity to the long trek through the halls of the Arsenale.
Choice as the basis of architectural process, the pop aesthetics emphasizing the languages of consumption as in Hamilton or Warhol: everything is structured by the dynamics of commerce.
Presented as a supermarket, its "products" feature the text from every national biennale exhibit from the last decade, boiled down to its essence through Al. It sticks a pin into the whole ball of hot air. Thank you for that.
Funny thing about designing one liners is they aren't good unless you follow them to the utter end with utmost seriousness lol. That's why I loved the Latvian pavilion this year!
Welcome to T/C Latvija, surely the most instagrammed installation of this edition of the Biennale
Latvia is reopening the archive boxes once again, reminding us (including the Biennial Presidency) of everything that has already been thought up and invented, and inviting us to place the most urgently needed products in the basket, to combine them with one another, and ultimately consume all the knowledge.
Fun, colourful and thought-provoking, it offers a tongue-in-cheek moment to the Arsenale sequence...
Latvia's participation in the Biennale Architettura 2023 is organized and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
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