The Australian Institute of Architects is calling on Australians with a passion for promoting Australian architecture internationally as it launches its search for a Creative Director of the Australian Exhibition at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale.
From 21 March until 18 April, members of the profession and the public will be able to lodge expressions of interest for the Creative Director’s/Directors’ role.
The Venice Architecture Biennale is the world’s most important forum for the topics faced by architects and society as a whole, and plays an important role in determining the future of our planet. The Creative Director/s or curatorial team is the key creative intellect behind Australia’s participation in the event.
2014 – A new challenge and an even greater opportunity.
The 14th International Architecture Exhibition will be held for almost six months, from Saturday 7 June to Sunday 23 November 2014, twice as long as in previous years.
This extension is a major change to the scope of the event.
In addition, the existing Australian Pavilion is not expected to be available, due to the construction of a new Pavilion in its place. Not having a pre-existing floor-space to fill presents a myriad of possibilities as to how the 2014 Australian presence can manifest on this international stage.
These issues pose interesting challenges/opportunities for the Creative Director/s.
Along with these factors, applicants should consider:
-How they envision Australia’s participation in 2014 and what engaging story they want to tell an international audience about architecture and the built environment in Australia?
-Their response to Rem Koolhaas’s comment ‘Ideally, we would want the represented countries to engage a single theme – Absorbing Modernity: 1914-2014 – and to show, each in their own way, the process of the erasure of national characteristics in favour of the almost universal adoption of a single modern language in a single repertoire of typologies’?
A brief proposal is required that outlines the concept and the relationship to the ‘Fundamentals’ theme. It should also nominate the creative team and support structure and state the experience and capability of the proposed Creative Director/s.
One of the most important events for the promotion of international architecture, the Biennale allows for Australians to demonstrate their unique views and work, which in turn contributes to the advancement of architecture both domestically and internationally. The Australian Institute of Architects’ commitment to an Australian exhibition at the Biennale is substantial and ongoing.
With strong support from the Australian architecture community, governments and sponsors, the Australian Exhibitions at the Venice Biennale in previous years have attracted up to 93,000 visitors. More than 178,000 people visited the three-month Biennale in 2012, which included the participation of 55 Countries and 18 collateral events. Thousands of the world’s most influential architects, designers, urban planners, and critics visit the Biennale, resulting in considerable discussion and commentary in the architectural press and general media.
Expressions of interest for the role of the 2014 Creative Director open 21 March 2013 and close 18 April 2013.
Submission requirements for the 2012 Creative Directors’ role are available at architecture.com.au/venicebiennale from 21 Mar, or by calling the Institute on +61 2 6121 2000.
The exhibition is supported by Austral Bricks, Smeg, Zip Industries, IBL Limited, Café di Stasio, and Architecture Media. In addition, the Institute gratefully acknowledges the support given by the Australia Council for the Arts.
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For media enquiries contact:
Alexandra Cato
National Media and Communications Officer
Australian Institute of Architects
P. + 61 (3) 8620 3813 | M. +61 (0) 416 022 818
alexandra.cato@architecture.com.au
The Australian Institute of Architects is the peak body for the architectural profession, representing 11,500 members across Australia and overseas. The Institute actively works to improve the quality of our built environment by promoting quality, responsible and sustainable design. Learn more about the Institute, log on to www.architecture.com.au.
