Pull out a chair. OFFICE in Venice

Abstract

Fifteen years ago, the architects of OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen participated in two editions of the Venice Architecture Biennale, in 2008 in the Belgian pavilion, and in 2010 in the People Meet in Architecture exhibition, curated by Kazuyo Sejima. The meanings of these interventions – the way they exhibited thoughts concerning architecture – are examined in this text. In 2008, 1907…After the Party put the Belgian pavilion itself on display, enclosing the historic building and separating it from the Biennale by means of a wall. Confetti, scattered both inside and outside, added layers of meaning to this ‘installation’, which can be interpreted as a reflection on both the architectural exhibition and on the state of architecture in the 21st century. Similarly, the smaller, more traditional Garden Pavilion (7 rooms, 21 perspectives) exhibition in 2010 was an opportunity to create a new space for architecture culture, within the machinery of the Venice Biennale.