Baltic States represented together at 2016 Biennale in Venice
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will be represented together at this year’s Biennale in Venice. The Baltic Pavilion will exhibit over 100 items, 70 local and international contributors will join.
The joint Baltic exhibition intends to explore significant inter-regional infrastructural links, such as the Rail Baltic project, the shared connection to the Baltic Sea, and the landscapes created by energy networks connecting the different populated areas.
The topic of the exhibition is the built environment of the Baltic States as a shared space of ideas, where architecture is reassessed amidst a much broader range of spatial practices. It probes regionally significant infrastructure, objects and natural resources, as well as their relationship with civic movements and cultural forms in search for future scenarios of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian common space.
The transformation of the cities and landscapes of the Baltic States will be represented in the context of the recent return of geopolitics to Europe. Estonian phosphorite deposits as well as Latvian and Lithuanian geological structures and core samples will be examined to better understand the significance of structures like the Ignalina nuclear power plant, the Aidu oil shale pyramids, the natural gas storage ship FSRU Independence, cultural infrastructure projects, and even constructs like special economic zones.
The exhibition will feature maps, photography, video works, physical models, diagrams, collages, sketches, material samples, and other media.
The project won three independent national competitions and is a non-governmental initiative of nine curators from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The Baltic Pavilion will present works by architects, planners, photographers, geographers, geologists, economists, cultural theorists, scientists, historians, philosophers, social anthropologists, researchers, artists, infrastructure companies, institutions, museums, and many other organizations.
The pavilion will be set up at the Palasport Arsenale stadium between the grounds of the Biennale and Venice’s naval history museum and have an exhibition space of 1,600 square meters.
The exhibition will be accompanied with a special publication called “The Baltic Atlas”, with contributions by more than 30 local and international authors. The atlas will examine the built infrastructure of the Baltic region and beyond.
Participation of the Baltic States in the Biennale started in 2000, when Estonia was represented for the first time. Latvia followed in 2002. Lithuania will be represented for the first time.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn