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Fundamentals

Rem Koolhaas's 14th International Architecture Exhibition will look at histories, attempting to reconstruct how architecture finds itself in its current situation, and speculate on its future.

Presented yesterday in Venice, the 14th International Architecture Exhibition, entitled “Fundamentals”, directed by Rem Koolhaas and organized by la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, consists of three interlocking exhibitions – Absorbing Modernity 1914-2014, Elements of Architecture and Monditalia – that together illuminate the past, present and future of our discipline.

Padiglione Centrale, work in progress del modello

“After several architecture Biennales dedicated to the celebration of the contemporary, Fundamentals will look at histories, attempt to reconstruct how architecture finds itself in its current situation, and speculate on its future,” explained Koolhaas.

“With Rem Koolhaas, our aim is to create an exceptional, research-centred Architecture Biennale, Paolo Baratta states. It will be significantly innovative as Rem has conceived a project that involves the entire Biennale, which fully exploits its potential.”

Absorbing Modernity 1914. 14. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura – Fundamentals la Biennale di Venezia. Courtesy la Biennale di Venezia. Copyright Rem Koolhaas

“Absorbing Modernity 1914-2014” is an invitation to the national pavilions to show, each in their own way, the process of the erasure of national characteristics in architecture in favor of the almost universal adoption of a single modern language and a single repertoire of typologies – a more complex process than we typically recognize, involving significant encounters between cultures, technical inventions, and hidden ways of remaining “national”.

Elements of Architecture. Stair – Models at the Friedrich Mielke Institute of Scalology. 14. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura – Fundamentals la Biennale di Venezia. Padiglione Centrale, Giardini. Courtesy la Biennale di Venezia. Copyright Rem Koolhaas

“Elements of Architecture”, in the Central Pavilion, will pay close attention to the fundamentals of our buildings, used by any architect, anywhere, anytime: the floor, the wall, the ceiling, the roof, the door, the window, the façade, the balcony, the corridor, the fireplace, the toilet, the stair, the escalator, the elevator, the ramp…

Monditalia – Corderie – Stages Frontal. 14. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura – Fundamentals la Biennale di Venezia. Corderie, Arsenale. Courtesy la Biennale di Venezia. Copyright Rem Koolhaas

“Monditalia” dedicates the Arsenale to a single theme – Italy – with exhibitions, events, and theatrical productions engaging architecture, politics, economics, religion, technology, industry. The other festivals of la Biennale di Venezia – film, dance, theatre, and music – will be mobilized to contribute to a comprehensive portrait of the host country.

Monditalia – Corderie – Map. 14. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura – Fundamentals la Biennale di Venezia. Corderie, Arsenale. Courtesy la Biennale di Venezia. Copyright Rem Koolhaas

65 National Participations will be exhibiting in the historic pavilions of the Giardini, the Arsenale, and the city of Venice. Among these, 11 countries will be participating in the Exhibition for the first time: Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand, and Turkey.

This year the Italian Pavilion is based in the Arsenale and organized by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities with PaBAAC (General Direction for landscape, fine arts, architecture and contemporary art). It is curated by Cino Zucchi.

The official Collateral Events of the 14th International Architecture Exhibition will be presented by international institutions that will hold their exhibitions and initiatives in various locations in the city.

The 14th International Architecture Exhibition will be open to the public from June 7 through November 23, 2014, in the Giardini and the Arsenale. The preview will be held on June 5 and 6 and the award ceremony and inauguration will take place on June 7.

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Fundamentals

Rem Koolhaas's 14th International Architecture Exhibition will look at histories, attempting to reconstruct how architecture finds itself in its current situation, and speculate on its future.

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