2018

Another Generosity

Another Generosity Installation_LAC_Biennale_ ©Andrea Ferro

Another Generosity, curated by Eero Lundén and Juulia Kauste, is the Nordic contribution to the 2018 International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. The Nordic Pavilion was designed by Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn and has been a collaborative exhibition space between Finland, Norway and Sweden since its completion in 1962. Responding to this year’s theme of Freespace, the exhibition Another Generosity explores the relationship between nature and the built environment, and how architecture can facilitate the creation of a world that supports the symbiotic coexistence of both. It seeks to create a spatial experience which heightens our awareness of our surroundings. Moreover, it is an attempt to foster dialogue, debate and criticism to help reveal new ways we can shape our world with another generosity. A generosity not just between humans, but between humans and nature.

Location: Nordic Pavilion, Venice, Italy

Program: Nordic Pavilion Exhibition at Biennale Architettura 2018

Commissioners: Juulia Kauste until 04.04.2018, Reetta Heiskanen/ Museum of Finnish Architecture; Nina Berre/ Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design; Kieran Long/ ArkDes

Curators: Eero Lundén, Juulia Kauste

Collaborators: BuroHappold Engineering, Bergent, Pneumocell, Turku Marquis and Coatings Oy, Aalto University, Samy Kramer Productions

Team: Ron Aasholm, Carmen Lee, Rubén Tomás Verde, XuDong Yan

Another Generosity Installation. Image ©Andrea Ferro

Humankind is actively shaping the world today. The geological impact of human activity is so pronounced that it has changed the behavior of our planet. This is the epoch of the Anthropocene. Though the Anthropocene may appear to mark the moment humans have come to overpower nature, it is also an opportunity to rethink the most fundamental relationship between our buildings and ecology. We should consider architecture as a tool for redefining the complete cycle of building, from its most basic components to its operating systems.

A structure that senses and responds

Another Generosity explores a new structure that consists of a membrane holding two basic elements: air and water. The simple structures are combined to create a visible and dynamic cellular structure. The inflated elements mediate between the natural and built environment. They respond to external and sometimes unseen stimuli, creating a new kind of experience, a momentary hesitation that heightens our awareness of our surroundings.

Another Generosity Installation. Image ©Andrea Ferro

Another Generosity brings together a diverse group of Nordic architects to share their views on the relationship between the built and natural world. Their contributions will be collected within the pavilion and new voices will be added throughout the exhibition months. Led by the Nordic countries, the exhibition installation is part of a broader research project. The collection of Nordic voices is a starting point for further discussions in the cities of Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo, culminating in a fall seminar, to be held in Venice. Another Generosity invites the international community to reflect on our roles in the built environment and to consider new possibilities for the future.

Nordic Voices:
Petra Gipp
Beate Hölmebakk
Emmi Keskisarja & Janne Teräsvirta
Anssi Lassila
Bolle Tham & Martin Videgård

Another Generosity explores the relationship between nature and the built environment, and how architecture can facilitate the creation of a world that supports the symbiotic coexistence of both.

Intervening Elements. Plan

Intervening elements. West and north sections

A structure that senses and responds

Structural studies: form and stress check, and inner air pressure. Courtesy of BuroHappold Engineering