On The Other Side

For architecture, ‘generosity’ mentioned by the Biennale curators is always derivative, providing a kind of compensation. Buildings, if they are to be built, take advantage (often forcibly) of the generosity of nature, people and other parties. Our idea is to transform the Polish pavilion into a reflection lab for the multifaceted consequences and meanings of the seemingly neutral space transformations. The relationship between the ‘Freespace’ theme and the Biennale being contested by some Venetians opposing the city being subjugated to tourism, has also played an important role. Our proposal is to shift the boundary between the enclosed Biennale area and the city’s freely accessible space. Converting the technical door, located at the border of the two zones, into a regular entrance and replicating the representative forms of the pavilion’s front portal around it should encourage Biennale visitors to look ‘on the other side’ and involve the public that has not yet showed up on the Biennale in architectural reflection. We intend to provide an incentive for residents, tourists or money-savvy architecture lovers to see the exhibition. Which is in line with the Freespace theme understood as gratuitous space.