Venice Architecture Biennale British Pavilion 2014, Fundamentals, Exhibit Images, Design

Venice Biennale British Pavilion 2013 Architecture

International Architectural Exhibition, Italy – La Biennale di Venezia, Italia

12 Mar 2014

British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2014: A Clockwork Jerusalem

A Clockwork Jerusalem

The British Pavilion at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia

Tuesday 11th March 2014 – The British Council will present the exhibition A Clockwork Jerusalem in the British Pavilion at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia, which will run 7 June to 23 November 2014. A Clockwork Jerusalem responds to the theme ‘Absorbing Modernity: 1914-2014’ set for the national pavilions by director Rem Koolhaas. The exhibition and accompanying book will explore the diverse cultural influences that shaped and were shaped by British Modernism in the post war era and over the last 100 years.

A Clockwork Jerusalem’s curatorial team, comprising FAT Architecture and Crimson Architectural Historians, has outlined their plans:

‘A Clockwork Jerusalem explores how a specifically British form of Modernism emerged from a modernity that combined traditions of the romantic, sublime and pastoral with a fascination and fear of the industrial, technology and science fiction to create new visions of society.

Taking the large scale projects of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as a point of departure, the exhibition explores the mature flowering of British Modernism, the moment it was at its most socially, politically and architecturally ambitious but also the moment that witnessed its collapse.

The exhibition tells the story of how British modernity emerged out of an unlikely combination of interests and how these modern visions continue to create our physical and imaginative landscapes. From Stonehenge to council estates, from Ebenezer Howard to Cliff Richard, from ruins and destruction to back-to-the-land rural fantasies, through architecture, records, books and adverts, A Clockwork Jerusalem explores the culture and products of British modernity as an architectural project and as a wider cultural experience.’

Vicky Richardson, Director of Architecture, Design and Fashion at the British Council, said:
‘A Clockwork Jerusalem will offer the opportunity to explore and rethink fundamental aspects of British modernity, beyond architecture. As the Venice Biennale evolves into a global research project, we are keen to make a significant contribution to the cultural debate around the past, present and future of UK and global architecture.’

To coincide with what will be the longest running International Architecture Exhibition to date in Venice, the British Council has launched its Venice Fellowships programme in partnership with 15 architecture schools and arts institutions from the UK and beyond. The programme offers 50 students a unique one month work-study opportunity during the Biennale. Students will act as invigilators of the British Pavilion’s exhibition and also undertake research around the theme of ‘Absorbing Modernity’, which will be made publicly available, providing an important addition to the global research project represented by the 2014 Biennale.

A Clockwork Jerusalem will be open to the public throughout the duration of the Biennale, from 7 June to 23 November 2014, with a press preview from 5 to 6 June.

The Curators – FAT Architecture + Crimson Architectural Historians

Founded by Sam Jacob, Sean Griffiths and Charles Holland in London, FAT Architecture was conceived to develop architectural culture through design, research and teaching. FAT’s work has been characterised by a highly conceptual approach, combining the practical demands of architecture with critical and provocative thinking.

Crimson Architectural Historians is a Rotterdam-based practice that functions as a hybrid planning, design and research facility. Since contributing to the planning for the extension of the railway and neighbourhood in Utrecht’s Leidse Rijn, the office has been involved in the production of numerous books and papers on urban planning.

British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. It creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. The British Council operates in over 100 countries in the arts, education and English, with 6,800 staff worldwide.

The British Council is responsible for commissioning the British Pavilion in Venice; showing British artists and architects at the longest-running, most prestigious international art Biennial in the world: the Venice Biennale of Art. From 1991 the British Pavilion has also been home to architecture exhibitions in the alternate years to the art Biennale.

The British Council’s commitment to the Venice Architecture Biennale illustrates the powerful contribution that the creative industries make to cultural relations. The British Council works with an advisory panel of leading architecture professionals across the UK which assists with the selection for the Venice Biennale every two years. For further information about the British Council at the Venice Architecture Biennale please visit http://design.britishcouncil.org/venice-biennale/

1 Aug 2013

British Pavilion Venice Biennale Winner

British Council announces winning proposal for British Pavilion

The British Council today announced details of the winning proposal for the British Pavilion at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. The Biennale will take place from 7 June to 23 November 2014. The title of the 2014 Biennale is “Fundamentals” and overall Director Rem Koolhaas has called on national pavilions to respond to the theme “Absorbing Modernity: 1914-2014”.

The team comprises FAT Architecture, Crimson Architectural Historians and Owen Hatherley and the project is titled ‘A Clockwork Jerusalem’.

Vicky Richardson, Director Architecture, Design, Fashion, British Council, said: ‘We look forward to working with FAT, Crimson and Owen Hatherley on ‘A Clockwork Jerusalem’. The Selection Committee felt their approach was both challenging and poetic, and that their work will make an important contribution to understanding modernity in British architecture.’

British Pavilion Selection Committee

– David Bickle, Partner, HawkinsBrown

– Adrian Forty, Professor of Architectural History, the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

– Edwin Heathcote, Architecture and Design Critic for the Financial Times

– Philip Long, Director, V&A at Dundee

– Irena Murray, Architectural Historian and Senior Research Fellow, Royal Institute of British Architects

– Jane and Louise Wilson, artists

– Chair: Vicky Richardson, Director of Architecture, Design, Fashion, British Council

British Pavilion Venice Biennale Winner information from British Council 010813

British Pavilion Venice Biennale

Venice Biennale British Pavilion in 2010:

photo © Adrian Welch

Venice Biennale British Pavilion 2012

The Venice Architecture Biennale is the biggest and most prestigious architectural gathering in the world. Each participating country holds an exhibition in its national pavilion in the famous Biennale Giardini, alongside a major exhibition spread across the spectacular Biennale sites in the Arsenale, The Corderia and the Giardini, which this year is curated by the internationally acclaimed British architect, David Chipperfield.

Leading British architects gathered in Venice for the official inauguration today (Monday 27 August) of the British Pavilion at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale ahead of its opening to the public from 29 August – 25 November 2012.

Lord Hall, Chair of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, officially inaugurated the British Pavilion in the presence of leading figures from the fields of architecture, design and the wider cultural community, gathered in Venice for the Biennale.

Venice Biennale British Pavilion 2010

Venice Biennale – Exhibitions, Designs, Images

photo : Neale Smith Photography