ANOTHER GENEROSITY — COLLECTED

NORDIC PAVILION AT VENICE BIENNALE 2018

#Anothergenerosity

This year exhibition at Nordic Pavilion present “another generosity”, an exploration of a dialog between built environment and surrounding nature. Surprisingly, this very up-to-date “environmental” theme goes all the way back to pavilion’s origins and to its architect Sverre Fehn.

I found about this by complete accident, but if you know Sverre Fehn’s work, especially his proposal for Expo 1970, the resemblance is obvious. Expo 1970 took place in Japan, Osaka with theme “Progress and Harmony for Mankind” focused on using contemporary science and technology to create a better standard of living. Fehn’s proposal presented two large balloons, a combined structure simulating an enormous artificial lung, breathing balloons which would serve as an exhibition space as well as a sanctuary of clean and pristine air in otherwise polluted Osaka.

Though Fehn’s idea comes from 1968, its concept has lost none of its relevance and this year exhibition is a prove. Another Generosity, curated by Eero Lundén and Juulia Kauste, presents gentle, sensible structures that consists of a membrane holding two basic elements: air and water. These inflamed balloons react to the stimuli around, shine and change colors, breath. Trying to reveal a necessity of finding balance or “anothergenerosity” between humans and nature.

Words of curators:

‘humankind is actively shaping the world today,’ say the curators. ‘the geological impact of human activity is so pronounced that it has changed the behavior of our planet. this is the epoch of the anthropocene. though the anthropocene may appear to mark the moment humans have come to overpower nature, it is also an opportunity to rethink the most fundamental relationship between our buildings and ecology. architecture should be considered a tool for redefining the complete cycle of building, from its most basic components to its operating systems.’