new zealand pavilion at venice art biennale 2013

new zealand pavilion at venice art biennale 2013
image © designboom

bill culbert illuminates the architecture of the istituto santa maria della pietà, close to venice’s lagoon along the busy riva degli schiavoni. representing new zealand at the 55th international art exhibition, the artist debuts ‘front door out back’, an eight part installation which is thematically related to the domestic world, in which we see culvert employing furniture (from chairs, wardrobes, side tables), colourful detergent bottles, in combination with his signature medium, lighting, to create an entirely immersive experience for the viewer. the mundane objects are composed into simple arrangements which further emphasize ideas and notions related to the household–the placement of the plastic vessels covering the floor of the building’s main room, offer a dense carpet of color and light, or the network of chairs and tables cascading downwards all in combination with fluorescent tube lighting, suspended in the venue’s corridor harkening that of a chandelier.

the artist lifts these objects out of their ordinary context, by forming a sculptural amalgamation of these pieces with an abundance of fluorescent light tubes, guiding visitors through the courtyards, rooms and hallways of la pietà by flowing around and often physically intersecting his sculptures. as one walks through the site of la pietà they will see how each of culvert’s works unfolds, playing off the qualities of the la pietà site. in the artist-s words, his aim is to introduce ‘an energy and simplicity’ to the setting, igniting the rooms and passage which are usually left uninhabited, transforming them into vibrant living spaces.

an arrangement of plastic detergent bottles and fluorescent tube lighting carpet the floor of venice’s istituto santa maria della pietà
image © designboom

 
bill culbert
daylight flotsam venice, 2013
photograph by jennifer french, courtesy of the new zealand pavilion

bill culbert
strait, 2013
photograph by jennifer french, courtesy of the new zealand pavilion

bill culbert
HUT, made in christchurch, 2012
image © designboom

bill culbert
where are the other two?, 2013
image © designboom

bill culbert
where are the other two?, 2013
photograph by jennifer french, courtesy of the new zealand pavilion

the entry corridor of the new zealand pavilion
image © designboom

gleaming steel chairs and tables tumble through space in a torrent of fluorescent tubes
image © designboom

bill culbert
bebop, 2013
image © designboom

bill culbert
drop, 2013 (left), bebop, 2013 (right)
photographs by jennifer french, courtesy of the new zealand pavilion

bill culbert
walk reflection, 2001/2013 and walk blue, 2001/2013
photograph by jennifer french, courtesy of the new zealand pavilion

image © designboom

the new zealand pavilion at the 2013 venice art biennale has been curated by justin paton, with commissioner jenny harper and deputy commissioner heather galbraith.

project team:

exhibitions manager: terry urbahn
attendant manager: veronica green
venue manager: diego carpentiero
technicians: rae culbert john brantes
public programme and marketing coordinator: libby brookbanks
education programme: helen lloyd
catalogue designer: anna brown
graphic designer: peter bray
photographer: jennifer french
videographer: colette culbert
project administrator: sabrina leruste
communications team: creative new zealand, helen isbister, matt allen and rebecca lancashire
senior manager, arts policy, capability and international: cath cardiff
with support from creative new zealand’s business service team

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