belgian pavilion reinterprets domestic interiors at venice biennale

belgian pavilion reinterprets domestic interiors at venice biennale
image © designboom

attempting to investigate a less studied, but nonetheless fundamental, element of architectural discourse, the belgian pavilion presents ‘interiors. notes and figures‘ for the venice architecture biennale 2014. the curatorial team, which is made up of sébastien martinez barat, bernard dubois, sarah levy, and judith wielander, spent five months documenting domestic landscapes in belgium through thousands of photographs.

an implied door frame occupies the center of the space
image © designboom

these records and analysis were then compiled into a book, which seeks to synthesize the various vernacular languages and present the significant patterns. the exhibition features interpretations of this image catalog and analysis, presenting noteworthy themes through spatial interventions, scale models, and surface treatments. pages from the manual-like publication complement each of the display pieces. 

a heavy masonry structure elevated on a pedestal is left unoccupied
image © designboom

the idea of the interior is a fundamental and integral part of an architectural practice, yet few studies approach the topic as its own field of interest. the pavilion’s analysis efforts are focused on the visual and spatial materialization and interpretation of these of these unseen elements, seeking to identify vernacular vocabularies and reveal the attitudes that define the culture.

the building’s galleries contain loose reconstructions of exemplary photographs produced during the preliminary study, which are painted white to minimize material properties. broken down into their most rudimentary parts, the simplified interior materials reveal the transformations, accommodations and modifications that domestic spaces will forever undergo.

the exhibition space is painted white to minimize material properties
photo by maxime delvaux

the accompanying catalog ‘interiors. notes and figures’ documents and analyzes interior landscapes that result from this process of continual adaptation. based on the recorded evidence from the thousands of photographs, the book identifies not only various domestic settings and scenes, but more specifically the elements of a culture that are unique to these transformations. images, texts, and diagrams highlight the ways in which an interior continuance arouses forms of life and the life of forms. 

a horizontal band wraps the wall, serving to organize the chairs in space
image © designboom

each intervention within the exhibition space is accompanied by the pages from the book that locate its point of reference. bringing together the photographic inventory and the spatial elements traces out a project landscape that is walkable and reflexive. 

this horizontal strip element is traditionally used to protect the wall from contact with chairs
image © designboom

plants are located beneath a skylight
image © designboom

a photograph scene containing an armoire, shelf, and sink is reconstructed with white finishes
image © designboom

isolated cabinets are hung on the gallery wall
image © designboom

efforts for ‘interiors. notes and figures’ included curation by sébastien martinez barat, bernard dubois, sarah levy, and judith wielander, photography by maxime delvaux, graphic design by gregory dapra and laure giletti, and collaboration from benjamin lafore, sophie dars, mathieu berger.

the exhibtion view illustrates the stark white site
image © designboom

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intérieurs, notes et figures
commissioner: fédération wallonie-bruxelles wallonie-bruxelles international
curators: sébastien martinez barat, bernard dubois, sarah levy, judith wielander
venue: pavilion at giardini, venice