Zumtobel : at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice

Press release

Zumtobel as official partner and sponsor of the Austria, Great Britain and Croatia Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia

How will we live together? This is the question being asked by Hashim Sarkis, architect and curator of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, as he invites 112 participants from 46 countries to share their ideas for spaces in which people can live together in the future. This year's Biennale Architettura explores the concept of living together as a kind of antithesis to the increasing individuality of human beings who nevertheless always want to connect with others - by living together as households looking for more diverse and dignified spaces to inhabit, by living together as communities demanding equality, inclusion and spatial identity, and by living together across political borders in order to imagine new geographies of association. This year, Zumtobel is supporting the participants from Austria, Great Britain and Croatia Pavillon at the Biennale Architettura 2021.

Dornbirn, 17 May 2021 - "The question 'How will we live together?' is both ancient and highly topical, and as much a social and political issue as a spatial one. Now, in the face of rapidly changing social norms, growing political polarisation, climate change and massive global inequalities, this question is increasingly urgent and relevant and of greater magnitude than ever before," says the American chief curator and architectural theorist Sarkis in his statement on this year's theme. Due to the pandemic, the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia has already had to be postponed twice in the past year and is now expected to take place from 22 May to 21 November 2021. Once again, Zumtobel is assisting several of the participating countries with their entries, with projects from the United Kingdom and Croatia also benefiting from a Zumtobel lighting solution alongside Austria.

"PLATFORM AUSTRIA" - the phenomenon of platform urbanism

As curators of the Austrian pavilion, Peter Mörtenböck and Helge Mooshammer consider the role of digital platforms in the architecture of the future with their "PLATFORM AUSTRIA" project. Platform urbanism is one of the most topical and hotly debated issues in architecture. Digital platforms such as Facebook, Google and Amazon are increasingly penetrating all areas of people's lives and beginning to break down old orders and structures. The "PLATFORM AUSTRIA" project looks at how this affects the development of our cities and transforms the pavilion itself into a platform for actively engaging with the potential of the future and its architecture. The original exhibition concept

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relied heavily on the political power of physical presence. "PLATFORM AUSTRIA" was intended to be a place in which people could come together but it's these very opportunities that have been restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The adapted exhibition concept focuses on the power of images and symbols to create a communicative presence. The goal of "PLATFORM AUSTRIA" has remained the same: to use the unique forum of the Biennale Architettura to collectively explore the architecture we want to see in the future.

"The Garden of Privatised Delights" - the entry from the United Kingdom

The curators of the 2021 British pavilionManijeh Verghese and Madeleine Kessler invite us to engage in the debate around the privatisation of public space in Britain. From the pub to the playground, common land to the private garden, the high street to facial recognition technology - these are the places and issues that have become increasingly relevant over the past year. Together with five teams of architects, designers and researchers, Manijeh and Madeleine will present "The Garden of Privatised Delights" in the British pavilion. Their work highlights the threats to public spaces, develops new concepts of ownership and wider accessibility, and outlines the role of design and architecture in creating a more inclusive future. "Places like the high street, the pub, even the public toilet are more under threat than ever before. Challenges around accessing these spaces are especially pertinent as isolation in communities is being felt even more acutely. How public space has traditionally been designed and used needs urgent rethinking. 'The Garden of Privatised Delights' intends to inspire and encourage action to support those challenges," says Manijeh Verghese, outlining the aims of the British project. The British Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition was commissioned by the British Council.

The Croatian pavilion - "TOGETHERNESS / TOGETHERLESS"

Led by Croatian architect Idis Turato, Professor at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Zagreb, the Croatian pavilion"TOGETHERNESS / TOGETHERLESS" represents a spatial composition that explores the extent to which basic fundamental elements of architecture can be used to form temporary communities. Through their layout and spatial properties, the elements of the pavilion trigger various interrelationships, tensions, approaches and interactions that develop between individuals and a group: visitors enter, stay for a while, drift in and around the pavilion. The neologistic title "Togetherness / Togetherless" refers to the needs of individuals for closeness and togetherness and the simultaneous paradox of never being able to fully attain this. The pavilion's various historical and thematic layers and external references are largely inspired by the city of Rijeka and its experience as European Capital of Culture in 2020, when it served as an arena for spatial and artistic research.

Zumtobel supporting Austria, Great Britain and Croatia Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura

2021 As an official partner and sponsor of the Austria, Great Britain and Croatia Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2021, Zumtobel is involved in the architects' and designers' creative process. A vibrant culture of design is an essential component of Zumtobel's corporate philosophy: "The

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Biennale Architettura in Venice is one of the most important architecture exhibitions in the world. Because it had to be postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a company dedicated to culture we are even more pleased that it can now hopefully take place this year. After a year without access to cultural institutions and events, it is more crucial than ever to revive social discourse on architecture and design and to be able to once again publicly address today's most pressing concerns through the artistic disciplines. Being part of this major event again as a sponsor of the Austria, Great Britain and Croatia Pavilion is therefore particularly meaningful for us this year," says Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group.

The Biennale Architettura 2021 is scheduled to take place in Venice from 22 May to 21 November 2021. Up-to-date information about the event and all latest developments can be found here.

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Captions:

(Photo credits: see captions)

Image 1: Peter Mörtenböck & Helge Mooshammer, curators of the Austrian project "PLATFORM AUSTRIA", Biennale Architettura 2020, © Centre for Global Architecture

Image 2: "PLATFORM AUSTRIA" on-stage detail © Centre for Global Architecture 2020

Image 3 + 4 + 5: The curators of the 2021 British pavilion Manijeh Verghese and Madeleine Kessler invite us to engage in the debate around the privatisation of public space in Britain.

Images 6 + 7: Led by Croatian architect Idis Turato, the Croatian pavilion "Togetherness / Togetherless" represents a spatial composition that explores the extent to which basic fundamental elements of architecture can be used to form temporary communities.

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About Zumtobel

For 70 years, Zumtobel has been developing lighting solutions of the highest quality, tailored to people's needs. With a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality luminaires, the Austrian lighting specialist provides the right light for every application and for any time of day or night. As a leader in innovation, Zumtobel is always breaking new ground and is constantly guided by a unique design approach. While the supplier of integral lighting solutions is continuously working on the light of tomorrow, it is also building on its innovative corporate philosophy to continue improving people's quality of life through light in the future. The Zumtobel brand is part of Zumtobel Group AG, based in Dornbirn in the Vorarlberg region of Austria.

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