A temporary pavilion designed by London-based firm Adjaye Associates is housing a selection of works for the 56th International Art Exhibition, "All the World's Futures," in Venice. Curated by Okwui Enwezor, the exhibition explores the numerous ways in which art can be experienced in "an unfolding of typologies." Adjaye Associate's temporary museum seeks to parallel Enwezor's curatorial vision, and is nestled within a 316-meter-long, 16th-century ship-building warehouse in the Arsenale district.
The exhibition space spans the full length of the Corderie building, whose interior is divided into a series of chambers. Envisioned to be 'multi-nodal and multi-sensory', the chambers range from the intimate to the expansive, presenting a variety of spatial conditions that mirror the theme of the exhibition.
"I wanted to create an environment that is more connected to the experience of the nature of art - much more than cataloguing or archiving artworks, and quite different to the commodification of art into a rarefied experience of value," said David Adjaye, principal of Adjaye Associates."
The firm has also designed ARENA, a satellite space within the Central Pavilion of the Giardini. As its name suggests, ARENA will host contemporary performance art ranging from spoken word and song to recitals and film projections, alongside public discussions. The multi-directional space will offer a breadth of viewing experiences that posit the exhibition as an extension of the stage.
"The spaces are about engagement with people, an engagement with dialogue, with a discussion of art, and an engagement with different ways of seeing the world," said Adjaye.
"All the World's Futures" features the work of 136 artists, and will be on display in Venice until November 22.
