Catalan contemporary architecture shows attitude in Venice for Biennale Exhibition

  • Josep Alegre Torrents' "Grafted Architecture" aims to show "how things are done in Catalonia"

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07.06.2014 - 07:52

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The ‘Arquitectures Empeltades’ or ‘grafted Architecture’ curated by Josep Alegre Torrents was presented on Thursday at the 14th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition. This Catalan showcase is sponsored by the Institut Ramon Llull, the public body promoting Catalan language and culture abroad. “We want to show an attitude, a way of working that lets architecture relate and interact with existing elements,” explained Torrents, who also said he wanted “to show how things are done in Catalonia”. The starting point of Torrent’s exhibition is the renovation of the Bofarull House (1913-1933), one of the major works of Josep Maria Jujol (1879-1949), who was one of Antoni Gaudí’s pupils. The exhibition’s focus then shifts to contemporary architecture in Catalonia. It is the second time Catalonia is participating in the Biennale International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. The Ramon Llull Institute (IRL) presents the best of Catalonian architecture in its ‘Eventi Collaterali’ at the exhibition. The IRL first participated in in the Biennale in 2012 with the ‘Vogadors / Architectural Rowers ‘, which was curated by Jordi Badia and Felix Arranz.

The 14th International Architecture Exhibition, entitled Fundamentals, is directed by the prestigious Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. It is organized within the Biennale di Venezia and is chaired by Paolo Baratta. The Architecture Exhibition will be open to the public from June 7 through November 23, 2014.

The Catalan propsal, which was chosen in an open competition convened by the Ramon Llull Institute, is to showcase the obvious changes taking place in contemporary architecture and to display examples of the Catalan way of updating a living tradition, and projecting it into the future. In this sense, Torrents said the exhibit includes “contemporary, modern, and rich shades” of architecture, “from the architects themselves who have been through the design process.” The commissioner added “it is a look into the rich and diverse understanding of architecture as something intimately linked to landscape and people.”

The starting point is Josep Maria Jujol, who Torrents defines as an architect who is: “unclassifiable, a free spirit who does not obey fashions or trends or isms.” Jujol was one of Gaudí’s pupils, but he followed his own style. Among the 16 projects included in the exhibition, which can be visited within Catalonia’s pavilion in the Biennale, there are pictures, videos or models of individual buildings, schools, museums, concert halls and public spaces. Some examples are the Can Framis Museum in Barcelona, Ripoll’s old converted theatre of La Lira (at the foot of the Pyrenees), a tower of 94 housing units in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (in Greater Barcelona), or Badalona’s Llacuna Secondary School located in an old factory (also just outside the city of Barcelona).

The planning and design process is displayed on panels and tables, and also includes the concept of ‘perception’ because “the finishing touch to these buildings is how they are used.” To this end, photographs were taken every day for a year and then combined into a time-lapse film, and video cameras are installed in front of four selected buildings during the exhibit to show the actual daily life around them. To complete the idea of “perception”, four artists in the field of performing arts, such as Catalan actor Sergi Lopez, are asked to perform “an artistic event” within the buildings.

A sample “that illuminates the future of architecture”

The director of the Ramon Llull Institute, Alex Susanna, said that the difference the organization makes is very positive. “This is a project capable of generating enthusiasm and consensus, and it promotes a sector that has suffered in the crisis.” Susanna said that the exhibition “illuminates the future of what architecture will be in the next few years and the values that it will have going forward.”

For his part, the Catalan Minister of Culture, Ferran Mascarell, stressed that the exhibition shows that “Catalan architecture has a very noticeable and solid presence at the Biennale; both in terms of its presence in the Catalan pavilion, but also in the context of the Spanish pavilion and in many other events, where Catalan names are appearing.” In short, he stressed that the exhibition reflects the “historical force” of Catalan architecture. Mascarell also noted that Catalonia “wants to be at the heart of what happens at the Venice Biennale.” Mascarell said that the idea is to go back for the third time and have an even larger presence.

The Catalan Minister of Planning and Sustainability, Santi Vila, pointed out that the world of architecture has a cultural vocation, but also has a dimension of economic activity and is linked to industry.

Eventi Collateralli

As in 2012, Catalan participation took place within the ‘Eventi Collaterali’ of the Bienalli, which is outside the space reserved for State pavillions. The project for the Catalan Architecture Biennale in Venice this year has a budget of approximately €478,000. The figure is quite close to the amount allocated in the past edition, and this was made possible by the project’s inclusion by the Catalan Ministry of Planning and Sustainability, with a donation of €230,000 to this budget. The rest of the funds are from the IRL, that is, the Catalan Ministry of Culture.

Catalan presence

Regarding the Catalan presence at the Biennale, in addition to the project curated by Josep Torrent at the Catalan Pavilion, Josep Llinàs will be in the Spanish pavilion. In addition to the Time Space Existence, at the Palazzo Bembo, there will be an exhibition organized by the Global Affairs Foundation, which includes works by Ricardo Bofill , Josep Ferrando and ZEST architecture. The Sorigué Foundation will present the ‘Planta’ architecture, selected by architect Rem Koolhas of the Conservatory of ‘Benedetto Marcello’ Music. The exhibition ‘ Made in Europe ‘ has been organized by the Mies Ven der Rohe Foundation, the Creative Europe program of the European Commission and Eva Franch, the Catalan Director of Storefront Space NY, who is the Curator of the American pavilion.

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