daniel libeskind presents sonnets in babylon at venice biennale

daniel libeskind presents sonnets in babylon at venice biennale
photo by renato greco / courtesy of comune di venezia

on the occasion of the 14th international architecture exhibition, the venice pavilion hosts ‘sonnets in babylon’ an installation by daniel libeskind that explores the tensions that exist between architecture and drawing. the architect exhibits over 100 handcrafted and unseen drawings, created through a combination of pen and sepia-toned washes of coffee. the series is screen-printed by lasvit, the architectural glass-maker, using a ceramic process on large-scale glass panels and arranged around the pavilion’s curved walls. using state of the art technology, ribbons of aluminum panels fixed with discreet LED lights create a wall of luminance and transparency.

the renowned architect exhibits over 100 handcrafted and unseen drawings
photo by renato greco / courtesy of comune di venezia

‘I am always posing lessons for myself, always trying to go further into the nature of architecture,’ says libeskind. ‘in this project, using the particular materiality of the hand-drawn mark, glass, and metal structure, I am exploring the questions of contemporary life and the fundamentals of architecture: is form disappearing into techne or is it a permanent expression of being human?’

the individual illustrations portray explosive and ambiguous shapes that evoke favelas, futuristic cities, mechanical parts, and even parts of the human body. libeskind continues these forms throughout the space, layering glass in order to create a continuous landscape.

ribbons of aluminum panels fixed with discreet LED lights create a luminous wall
photo by renato greco / courtesy of comune di venezia

visitors approaching the pavilion are first encountered with a 5.5 meter high (18 feet) sculpture of a skewed axis completed in the brown surfacing material dekton. the geometry of the form relates to the development of the axis as fundamental to architectural drawing, with the sculptural ‘X’ serving as a starting point that ‘runs through the sonnets and anchors their exploding and collapsing worlds’. additionally, the pavilion includes a bold geometric chandelier, also designed by libeskind, made up of clear glass ‘cells’, clustered together in a series of puzzle-like triangular patterns.

large-scale glass panels are arranged around the pavilion’s curved walls
photo by renato greco / courtesy of comune di venezia

‘the city of venice is honored to present new work by a theorist and practitioner whose architecture has received substantial international acclaim since his last appearance at la biennale in 1985, when he took that year’s golden lion prize. I look forward to seeing how this latest presentation amplifies the theme of the 14th international architecture exhibition—the ‘fundamentals’ of architecture’, commented professor renzo dubbini, curator of the venice pavilion.

libeskind continues ambiguous forms throughout the space, layering glass in order to create a continuous landscape
photo by renato greco / courtesy of comune di venezia

the illustrations portray forms and shapes that evoke favelas, futuristic cities and mechanical parts
photo courtesy of comune di venezia

the pavilion includes a bold geometric chandelier, also designed by libeskind
photo by renato greco / courtesy of comune di venezia

the design is made up of clear glass ‘cells’, clustered together in a series of puzzle-like triangular patterns
image courtesy of lasvit

the ice chandelier was originally presented during milan design week 2014
image courtesy of lasvit

a 5.5 meter tall sculpture of a skewed axis greets the pavilion’s visitors
photo courtesy of comune di venezia