Republic Of Korea
The Korean Pavilion at the 10th International Architecture Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia focused on the theme of "cumulated time and instant events in the old places," reflecting the ways current architectural and urban issues involve society. The exhibition showcased large-scale sectional models and moving pictures taken from five different sectors of Seoul, depicting how its extreme topographies have been overcome and highlighting the city's traditional districts, fringe, urban surfaces, futuristic housing, and intricate web of artificial nerves and sensory devices. The participating architects maintained a neutral atmosphere and reserved judgment on the less critical views or perceptions of what is in progress in the city.
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.
.svg)
