The National Pavilion of Israel presents “Cloud-to-ground,” an immersive installation exploring the nature of modern communication networks at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, curated by Arch. Oren Eldar, Arch. Edith Kofsky, and Hadas Maor, aims to initiate a multifaceted discussion regarding the physical aspects of virtual networks: the data centers and telephone exchanges commonly referred to as “black boxes.” The chosen theme is relevant for Israel due to its strategic location set at the intersection of continents and cultures. The pavilion in the Giardini will remain open for visitors until November 26, 2023.
Through the intervention, the pavilion itself becomes part of the presentation, transformed into an opaque “black box”. The exhibition set out to bring into focus a hidden aspect of global technology development and the shifting power structures they implement. New data centers are being built in Israel, interconnected by a vast network of cables over land, underground and underwater. Furthermore, a large optic cable laid by Google over the land revives the ancient merchant roads but also puts the newly established state into a delicate position, according to the curators.
Creating an immersive transition from sound to light, the installation examines the technological shift “from analog to digital communication, from accessible, city-centered buildings to sealed structures in peripheral locations, and from a direct to a decentralized connectivity,” according to co-curator Hadas Maor. The name of the exhibition, “Cloud-to-ground,” comes from the scientific term for lightning hitting the earth. The physical exhibition is also accompanied by a printed catalog by the Swiss publishing house "Park Books." It features articles by prominent and emerging Israeli scholars, along with photographs and an extensive index of telephone exchange buildings, ancient maps, and drawings of the data centers planned to be built in Israel.
Related Article
Emerging Themes at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale: Highlights from the National PavilionsThe relative lack of architectural attention given to these structures nowadays stands in contrast to the significant role they played over the last two centuries. By examining the rapid changes these information structures have undergone over the years, the exhibition sheds light on the economic and geopolitical processes currently underway in Israel and the region. - co-curator Arch. Edith Kofsky
Responding to curator Lesley Lokko’s theme of “Laboratory of the Future”, several other national pavilions have inaugurated exhibitions focused on overlooks aspects of modern technologies and communication networks. The Polish Pavilion, titled “Datament,” set out to show visitors the prevalence of data collection and the impact of modern technologies on everyday life. Similarly, the Singapore Pavilion aims to measure the immeasurable qualities of architectural spaces: agency, attachment, attraction, connection, freedom, and inclusion.
We invite you to follow ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the Venice Biennale 2023: The Laboratory of the Future.
