Building a Biennale: Rem in Venice

Koolhaas's personal motoscafo

Rem Koolhaas outside the Biennale's offices

The 14th International Architecture Exhibition, or Architecture Biennale as it's better known, opened on June 7 in Venice, Italy. Curated this year by Rem Koolhaas, the Biennale was expected to be a blockbuster. The central presentation in the Arsenale didn't disappoint. It's presentation by Koolhaas of Monditalia looks at Italy as a microcosm of the world in terms of art, architecture, design, urbanism, culture and politics.
There's so much to see, it's a shame that most of us only get a few hours to rush through exhibits that could hold our attention for months.

Entrance to Monditalia in Arsenale

If you're lucky enough to live nearby then go several times. If you live on our side of the pond, then at least budget enough time to spend at least a full day at the Arsenale and another at the Giardini. Still more time is needed to wander through some of the many collateral events that are sprinkled among Venice's many canals, campos and calles

We suggest getting something to sip, perhaps on the terrace of the midcentury Bauer Hotel near San Marco, to gather your thoughts and plan your strategy. Once there, we highly recommend Brazil's wonderful survey of modernism as an essential part of that nation's history, Denmark's stark and spare salute to nature and silence and Germany's recreation of West German style of a half-century ago. Office US, the American presentation at the Biennale, shows how American design has been disseminated worldwide. 

Heinz Mack installation in front of S. Giorgio

Salute and Punta della Dogana

More info:

Biennale main info
Office US on Facebook

All photos and text by Hilary Lewis unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
(c) 2014 Hilary Lewis