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biennale stories

Demolish it? Remodel it? Live with it?

Biennale
Stories The German Pavilion #2

Collage © Avital Greenshpon, Ferdinand Knecht, Axel Schneider

Collage © Avital Greenshpon, Ferdinand Knecht, Axel Schneider

THE GERMAN PAVILION
No other pavilion at the Venice Biennial is as controversial as the German one. Ever since the Nazis lent the exhibition building the appearance that endures to this day, the pavilion has been engulfed in controversial discussions. Though there’s more to it than the monumental architecture being a recurrent subject of debate and discourse. Meanwhile, it has become something of a tradition for artists to properly meditate on this structure infused with fascist history.

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© 2021 INSTITUT FÜR AUSLANDSBEZIEHUNGEN

Audio files

FOLIAGE
Every morning the leaves are blown away, 2021, sound/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht

DOOR
The doors of the German Pavilion are opening, 2021, sound/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht

CONVERSATIONS
Talkative confusion in the German Pavilion, 2021, sound/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht

Ground plans

1909 Photo: Giacomelli 1909 © Archivio Storico della Biennale di Venezia - ASAC
1912 Photo: Tomaso Filippi 1912 © Archivio Storico della Biennale di Venezia - ASAC
1932 Photo: © Archivio Storico della Biennale di Venezia - ASAC
1938 Photo: Giacomelli 1938 © Archivio Storico della Biennale di Venezia - ASAC
1964 Photo: © Gabriele Basilico
1997 Photo: © Philipp Schönborn

All graphics: © Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht

Traces

OUTSIDE
1948 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2003 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2017 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht

INSIDE
1993 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2003 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2015 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2016 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2018 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht
2019 track at the German Pavilion, 2021, Photo/© Avital Greenshpon und Ferdinand Knecht

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