Developed by architect Gerardo Caballero, in collaboration with Paola Gallino, Sebastian Flosi, Franco Brachetta, Ana Babaya, Leonardo Rota, Emmanuel Leggeri, Sofia Rothman, Gerardo Bordi, Edgardo Torres, and Alessandro De Paoli, "The Infinite House", a project inspired by traditional Argentine houses, will represent Argentina in the upcoming 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. The project reflects on the identity of Argentine public housing and the role collective housing, both public and private, has played in the country's history and society. The Infinite House aims to push the limits of the domestic and to highlight the importance of the collective rather than the individual by illustrating that a home extends beyond one's own living space: "it is the city, the country, and even the world."
Started in 1895 as the Venice International Exhibition of Art, the Biennale of Venice today is one of the world's premiere cultural exhibitions, providing a platform for countries to share their art culture on a global scale. Following the theme of "How Will We Live Together?" the 17th International Architecture Exhibition will open its doors Saturday, May 22 and will feature works from 46 countries. In this article, we highlight Argentina's entry and get details on the exhibit from its curators.
One doesn't enter the infinite house because they are already inside it. It's so large that it's impossible to exit. It's vast and open, simple and discreet. Its layout is fluid and variable. We believe each of us lives in a distinct house, but that they are all connected and overlapping. The house is so large that it can be traveled by foot, bicycle, car, train, taxi, and even plane. It has immense yards and mountains, and plains. It has small bedrooms with beds and table. Everything is connected. The journey through it lasts a lifetime. The infinite house is the world that we inhabit together.
Visitors to the Argentina Pavilion will view a series of undefined spaces organized along the wall of the exhibit. This layout mimics the layout of a traditional Argentine public housing complex. It's rosy color imitates the traditional concrete mixture of ox blood and lime. Visitors will encounter a series of houses with several paths to choose from, much like they do in their daily lives.
The selection of projects and works in the exhibit will highlight collective housing, both public and private, found in Argentina, be it the result of contests or public and private investments. The house will be furnished with tables and beds where the works will be displayed using blue-prints, photos, drawings, and models. It is the goal of this exhibit to highlight projects where common spaces play a fundamental role in the way we connect and choose to live together.
- Project Team: Gerardo Caballero (Curator), Paola Gallino, Sebastian Flosi, Franco Brachetta, Ana Babaya, Leonardo Rota, Emmanuel Leggeri, Sofia Rothman, Gerardo Bordi, Edgardo Torres, Alessandro De Paoli.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, and watch our official playlist on Youtube featuring exclusive interviews with architects and curators of the Biennale.
