canadian pavilion: migrating landscapes at the venice biennale

‘migrating landscapes’ canadian pavilion at the 2012 venice biennale, curated by 5468796 architecture and jae-sung chon image © lisa stinner-kun

the migrating landscapes organizer (MLO), the curating entity created by the synthesis of jae-sung chon and 5468796 architecture, designed the canadian pavilion at the 2012 architecture biennale in venice. reflecting the canadian spirit of openness and acceptance of all cultures, ‘migrating landscapes’ explores the themes of ‘settling-unsettling’ as a global community is more attuned to migrating from their origins, and the consequent question of culture and identity. the pavilion is ‘a collection of stories, and a collection of artifacts that are based on stories’ as explained by jae-sung chon, as the projects displayed tell their own stories of how each person lives on their distinctive landscape.

a call to designers and architectures of all walks of canadian life saw an influx of dwellings represented as scale models along with videos that address the issues surrounding the relocation of people, ideas and societies. each house is perched upon a landscape made up of wood planks of varying lengths and sizes. as each unique piece is fitted together with its neighbor, they create a homogenous surface, although still distinct in its own way as the compilation of its individual components. the floor is a mosaic of thin-cut timber sections that complete an almost entirely wooden interior, native to the canadian landscape.

see designboom’s preview article for the candian pavilion here.

‘migrating landscapes’ overview with the curators video courtesy of MLO

view form the roof image © lisa stinner-kun