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| The Curators Collective meeting held on Zoom, May 23, is seen on a television monitor at the Korean pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale. Courtesy of Korean pavilion's Venetian team |
By Park Han-sol
Engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out last year, many were gripped by the feeling of powerlessness.
Ambitious architects were no exception, as they had to witness postponements and cancellations of prominent international cultural events one after the other. The 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, initially scheduled to take place in May of last year, had to be delayed twice before it was finally able to open its doors to the public on Saturday.
The uncertainties posed by the pandemic, however, inspired some to take the unprecedented initiative to create a breakthrough project. The Curators Collective (CC) is a coalition in which curators of 50 national pavilions ― out of the Biennale's 60 total participating countries ― came to exchange ideas and share their expertise. It is the brainchild of Shin Hae-won, curator of this year's Korean pavilion.
Its members first came together online in May of last year, where they recognized their shared interest in exploring collaborative possibilities ― something never quite done in the past.
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| Shin Hae-won, curator of this year's Korean pavilion, speaks during a press conference held in Arko Art Center, May 21. Courtesy of Arts Council Korea |
"It is likely for this reason that the curators of each pavilion never used to share in advance what their programs involved, the drafts of their press releases or even their contact information. We would be busy carrying on with our own projects and simply launch them when the time came."
But when the COVID-19 shook the world and news of the Biennale being delayed until August came last year, the lack of communication left everyone, including Shin, in the dark, as there seemed to be no chance that the event could be successfully held that month.
She soon realized that the Biennale was a unique platform where the participating countries could move past border closures and lockdowns to come together during the pandemic.
Seeing this situation as an opportunity, she wrote to each curator of the national pavilions, suggesting they should hold a virtual assembly on May 23, 2020, the day that the original opening of the 17th Architecture Biennale had been scheduled for. In less than a few days, a flood of responses came from more than 30 countries, ultimately leading to the formation of the CC.
Even though Shin initiated the online dialogue, she noted that the formation of the CC was a result of the joint passions and efforts of all of the participating curators.
"We've had more than a dozen regular meetings since May of last year. And now we've broken down into several self-organized teams that focus on their own collaborative projects. It's not really important that I was the one who started the group, since everyone is an equally active participant and contributor."
Through the CC, curators have been able to jointly add new programs and projects to the Biennale in more ways than one.
One example is a competition among international students to design benches made up of discarded and recycled materials from the pavilion construction process. The winning design will bring to life these sustainable chairs inside the biennale's main exhibition space, the Giardini.
It was thanks to the coalition's network that the Japanese and Russian pavilions were able to collaborate, turning the white wall standing between the two into an installation conveying the message that it is no longer a wall but a tool of mutual communication.
The members also plan to hold a special Pavilion Festival in October, with a guided promenade, or "Curators Walk," where they will map out a long course to visit all of the national pavilions scattered across the city of Venice.
"We are imagining it to be like a celebratory procession," Shin said. "It was always a shame for the curators to only have time to visit few pavilions, usually located in the main space of the Biennale. Through this performance, we will walk, drink and eat together, heading to all the exhibitions and greeting each other."
She added that Daniel Kovacs, curator of the Hungarian pavilion, was one of many who expressed delight over this unique opportunity for collaboration.
"For me, this Biennale was more about the people than ever. I'm really thankful to Hae-won, her team, and the community for creating connections where there should have been borders and distance," he wrote in an email to CC members.
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| The facade of Korean pavilion with the "Future School" logo / Courtesy of Arts Council Korea |
The roof of Shin's Korean pavilion will become a symbolic common space for the CC members to gather and engage in conversations, possibly as early as August. Previously utilized as a resting area for staff members and docents, this time is the first that the space will be open to visitors.
This year's Korean pavilion is themed "Future School," which aims to promote dialogue on urgent tasks facing humanity ― population displacement, climate change and sustainable innovation. A participatory program of more than 50 unique workshops, lectures and exhibitions will be featured both inside the museum and via "Future School Online" until Nov. 21.
"With the overall theme of this year's Biennale being 'How Will We Live Together?,' the Curators Collective is putting one of the possible answers to this question into practice. And we hope that this project could serve as a precedent that will help improve the communication process among national pavilions in the future," Shin said.
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| The Korean pavilion themed "Future School" / Courtesy of Arts Council Korea |
