Yesterday, November 25 was the last day of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The Latvian Pavilion, titled «Together and Apart», focused on the architectural typology of apartment buildings. During the six months of the Biennale, it was viewed by 90 thousand visitors. In the beginning of 2019, the exhibition will be on view in Riga.
The Latvian Pavilion «Together and Apart» at the Venice architecture biennale was curated by a multidisciplinary team consisting of architect and urbanist Evelīna Ozola, architect Matīss Groskaufmanis, scenographer Anda Skrējāne and the director of New Theatre Institute of Latvia Gundega Laiviņa. The exhibition highlighted apartment buildings as the most common experience of architecture for the Latvian society — two–thirds of Latvia’s residents live in apartment buildings, which is the highest ratio amongst the European Union countries. Since 2002, this was the eighth time Latvia has been represented with a national pavilion at the Venice architecture biennale — the world’s greatest and most prestigious architecture exhibition.
During the six–month–long biennale, 90 thousand visitors viewed the Latvian Pavilion. Their attention was particularly attracted by the conceptual model «Warmth» by artist Daria Melnikova, which depicts heat loss in apartment buildings. Photography series by photographer Reinis Hofmanis that reveals the diversity of apartment buildings in the contemporary Latvian landscape was also much appreciated.
This week, the team of the Latvian Pavilion will prepare the exhibition for its return to Latvia. From February 1 to March 23, 2019, the exhibition «Together and Apart» will be on view at the ISSP Gallery in Riga. Together with the opening of the exhibition, a book on the history and current challenges of apartment buildings will also be released. Its editors Evelīna Ozola and Matīss Groskaufmanis aim to stimulate a discussion about an appropriate living environment for a modern Latvian society. Therefore they have invited authors of various fields to contribute opinions and facts on the role of apartment living and residential architecture in the development of the country. The book will also feature a number of architects’ visual commentaries on the future of the living environment.
Team of the Latvian Pavilion «Together and Apart»:
curators — Matīss Groskaufmanis, Gundega Laiviņa, Evelīna Ozola, Anda Skrējāne, authors of the exhibits — Ivars Drulle, Mārtiņš Dušelis, Matīss Groskaufmanis, Reinis Hofmanis, Daria Melnikova, Evelīna Ozola, Dita Pāne, Anda Skrējāne, Charlotte Spichalsky, commissioner — Jānis Dripe, producers — New Theatre Institute of Latvia, Klinta Harju, archival research — Karīna Horsta, Toms Zariņš, graphic design — «Goys & Birls», technical support — «Dekorāciju darbnīca», press — «Ethos».
Supporters of the Latvian Pavilion «Together and Apart»:
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, «Live Rīga», «If» insurance, «Airos» logistics, Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Italy, LMT, RIGA ChAIR, «Krāsu serviss», «Valmiermuiža» and «Gardu muti».
Viedokļi