Zumtobel supports the pavilions at the 17th Venice Biennale

“The question ‘How will we live together?’ is both ancient and red-hot. It is posed both socially and politically, as well as spatially. Today, rapidly changing social norms, growing political divisions, climate change and massive global inequalities force us to ask this question even more strongly, and on a different scale than before ” said American architectural theorist and chief curator Sarkis in his statement on this year’s general theme. Due to the pandemic, the 17th Venice Biennale had to be postponed twice last year and is now expected to take place from From May 22 to November 21, 2021 instead of. Zumtobel once again actively supports the choice of participating countries in the implementation of their contributions. Apart from Austria, projects in Great Britain and Croatia will receive a lighting solution from Zumtobel.

Platform Austria – About the phenomenon of platform urbanism

With “Platform Austria” curators Peter Mörtenböck and Helge Mooshammer address the future role of digital platforms in architecture for the Austrian pavilion. The topic of platform urbanism describes one of the most current and explosive areas of discussion in architecture. Digital platforms such as Facebook, Google and Amazon are increasingly penetrating all areas of human life and are beginning to dissolve old orders and structures. Platform Austria raises the question of the connected development of our cities and turns the pavilion itself into a platform for actively dealing with the potential of the future and its architecture.

The original concept of the exhibition relied heavily on the political power of physical presence and wanted to be a place of gathering. The Covid-19 pandemic limited exactly these possibilities. The customized exhibition concept concentrates on the power of images and symbols to create a communicative presence. The goal remains the same: to occupy the unique forum of the Biennale Architettura in order to jointly search for the architecture we want for the future.

Garden of Privatized Delights – UK contribution

British Pavilion 2021 curators Manijeh Verghese and Madeleine Kessler invite you to participate in the debate on the privatization of public spaces in Great Britain. From the pub to the playground, from the common spaces to the private garden, from the high street to facial recognition technology – places and topics that have become more relevant in the past year. Together with five teams of architects, designers and researchers, Manijeh and Madeleine present the “Garden of Privatized Delights” in the British Pavilion.

In their work, they highlight threats affecting public spaces, develop new concepts of ownership and wider accessibility, and present the role of design and architecture in creating a more inclusive future.

“Places such as the high street, the pub, even the public toilet are under increasing pressure. The challenges of making these places accessible again are particularly relevant as isolation within communities is felt to be even more acute. Like the public space that was originally designed and The benefits need to be reconsidered. The aim of the Garden of Privatized Delights is to inspire and encourage people to face these challenges,” says Manijeh Verghese about the intention of the British contribution. The British Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition was commissioned by the British Council.

The neologism “Together / Together” refers to the need of individuals for closeness and togetherness and the simultaneous paradox that they can never fully achieve it. The various historical, content levels and external references of the pavilion are largely related to the city of Rijeka and its experiences as the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Last year, the city functioned as a spatial and artistic research arena.

Zumtobel and pavilion support from Austria, Great Britain and Croatia

As an official partner and sponsor, Zumtobel follows the creative process of architects and designers. A vibrant design culture is an essential building block of Zumtobel’s corporate philosophy: “The Venice Architecture Biennale is one of the most important international architecture exhibitions. Since last year it had to be postponed to 2021 due to the corona pandemic, we, as a culturally dedicated company, are all the more pleased that we hope it can be held this year. After a year without access to cultural institutions and events, it is more important than ever to revive the discourse on architecture and design in a social context and to be able to once again publicly address current hot topics in artistic disciplines. Therefore, it is particularly important for us to be part of this important event as a sponsor this year as well,” says Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group.