2016 Biennale, The Pool - Australian pavilion

Great expectations for the Australian input to the 15th Biennale of Architecture in Venice. Curated by Aileen Sage Architects (Isabelle Toland and Amelia Holliday) with Michelle Tabet, the Australian pavilion exploring the theme “The Pool: Architecture, Culture and Identity in Australia” has been preceded by the book of the same name.



Isabelle Toland and Amelia Holliday of Aileen Sage Architects, creative directors of the Australian pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale with Michelle Tabet, explore the theme posted by Alejandro Aravena, “Reporting from the Front” through one of Australia's greatest cultural symbols: the pool.


“The Pool” forms the focal point for the architectural installation in the redesigned Australian pavilion at the Giardini della Biennale that we will be visiting and examining with our readers during the preview of the Bienniale, which will running from 28 May to 27 November 2016. But “The Pool” and the pools of Australia in general are much more than an architectural response to the climate of this continent. In the words of the curators, “It is also a setting for thesharing of stories, tales of personal and collective struggle, of community building and transformation and refusal of the status quo”.



The pool is a common object filled with cultural significance; it is both natural and manmade, and in any case it enables us to reach out beyond the world of professional designers, exploring the relationship between architecture and Australian cultural identity. 



This is the backdrop for the book accompanying the Australian participation in the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale, “The Pool: Architecture, Culture and Identity in Australia”. The book studies the affinity of Australians with the pool through the narratives of eight prominent Australian cultural leaders, including Olympian swimming champions Ian Thorpe and Shane Gould, environmental activist Tim Flannery, fashion designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales (Romance was Born), writers Christos Tsiolkas and Anna Funder, indigenous art curator Hetti Perkins and musician Paul Kelly.


The book is a delightful introduction to Australia's participation in the Biennale and we can't wait to dive into it head first!

Christiane Bürklein

15th Venice Biennale.
Australian pavilion: “The Pool: Architecture, Culture and Identity in Australia”
Giardini della Biennale
28 May to 27 November 2016 
Curators: Aileen Sage Architects http://aileensage.com/ con Michelle Tabet
Website: architecture.com.au/venicebiennale
Twitter: @VeniceArchAUS
Images: Courtesy of Australian Institute of Architects, rights belong to the authors