The Australian pavilion is a structure that houses Australia's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts and architecture festivals. Although Australia has been represented at the arts festival since 1954, the first pavilion was only built in 1987, and replaced by a permanent structure in 2015.
The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", participation in the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theater. [1]
Outside of the central, international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings, such as the 30 housed on the Giardini, are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in venues throughout the city. [1] Formal participation by Australia in the Venice Biennale began in 1954. From 1978, the Australian Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia), managed and supported the national representation in the festival. In 2019 the Australia Council took over the commissioning of the works, which it does by open call for proposals. [2]
As of 2024 [update] there are 29 national pavilions built over a long period of time within the Giardini della Biennale (Biennale Gardens). [2]
The Australian pavilion was designed in 1987 by the Australia Council's Design Arts Board and constructed by 1988. The two-level single exhibition space includes a veranda-style entrance with a courtyard constructed around a pre-existing tree. This connection between internal space and landscape was designed to relate to architectural themes in Australia. The curvature of the pavilion's sheet metal roof is meant to invoke a wave. [3]
The original Australian Pavilion, designed by Philip Cox to be a temporary structure of fiber cement and steel, [4] was opened in 1988 at the western edge of the Giardini. [5] Italian-born Australian industrialist Franco Belgiorno-Nettis had previously lobbied so successfully that in 1988 Australia beat 16 other countries to the last site on which to build a permanent pavilion in the Giardini. [6] Cox and other generous donors gifted the pavilion to the Commonwealth Government. [7] The pavilion was not heritage-protected because of its temporary status. [8]
A new, permanent pavilion was designed by architectural practice Denton Corker Marshall and completed in 2015. [9] [2] [10] Built from concrete and steel, the two-storey structure contains 240 m2 (2,600 sq ft) of exhibition space, and the exterior is covered in black granite from Zimbabwe. [11] [12]
Although Australia's participation at the Venice Biennale was being managed by the Australia Council, funded by the Commonwealth Government, all of the A$6 million originally needed for the new building had to be raised from the private sector. [9] Eventually, the pavilion cost $7.5 million to build, $1 million of which was funded by the Australia Council; the rest was donated by 82 private Australian donors, including actress Cate Blanchett [11] and producer Santo Cilauro. [13]
The pavilion has won several architectural awards: [10]
Until 2019, the Art Biennale used to take place in odd years and the Architecture Biennale in even years, but after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a postponement, the Art Biennale now takes place in even years (2022, 2024) and the Architecture Biennale in odd years (2021, 2023).
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Creative directors for each year's representation in the national pavilion at the architecture festival are as follows:
The German pavilion houses Germany's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The French pavilion houses France's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Greek pavilion houses Greece's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Swiss pavilion houses Switzerland's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Canadian pavilion houses Canada's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Czech and Slovak pavilion houses the national representation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Belgian pavilion houses Belgium's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Spanish pavilion houses Spain's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Brazilian pavilion houses Brazil's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Korean pavilion houses South Korea's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Venezuelan pavilion houses Venezuela's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals. It is located in the Giardini della Biennale.
The Uruguayan pavilion houses Uruguay's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Serbian pavilion is a national pavilion of the Venice Biennale arts festivals. It houses Serbia's national representation.
The Polish pavilion houses Poland's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Japanese pavilion houses Japan's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Dutch pavilion houses the Netherlands's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Hungarian pavilion houses Hungary's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Israeli pavilion houses Israel's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals. Jewish Israeli artists first participated in the 24th Venice Biennale in the Erez Israel, Artisti Palestinesi pavilion. Israel first participated in the 25th Venice Biennale in 1950.
The Finnish pavilion houses Finland's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.
The Danish pavilion houses Denmark's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals. The building was designed by Carl Brummer and constructed between 1930 and 1932, and restored and expanded by Peter Koch in the 1950s.
