Submission: July 7, 2021
Registration: July 7, 2021
Language: English
Location: Venice, Italy
Prizes: Please see detail below
Type: Student Competition
The National Pavilion United Arab Emirates at La Biennale di Venezia , led by co-curator Wael Al Awar in collaboration with the Curator’s Collective, launches an international open call for Design students to propose a bench design for installation in Venice during the summer of 2021.
For the first time in the Biennale Architettura de Venezia’s 40-year history, national pavilion curators around the globe are working together to investigate new avenues for fulfilling the Biennale’s potential as a platform for synergistic, expansive, and accessible collaboration. Known as the Curators’ Collective (CC), over 50 participating national pavilions have joined in the ongoing dialog alongside the Biennale’s chief curator, Hashim Sarkis.
How can the design of a bench both spark and frame this dialogue?
ABOUT
The bench design must communicate an idea about gathering, contemplation and conversation across cultures, while exploring the connection between human and environmental awareness.
The idea of a bench can inspire multiple and pluralistic interpretations—
Bench as connecting in the present
Bench as portal to a different place
Bench as coveted during the pandemic
Bench as avoided during the pandemic
Bench as a cultural symbol
Bench as solving a practical need
Bench as an individual
Bench as part of a collective
Bench as fixed
Bench as wandering
Value will be placed on entries that showcase the upcycling process. The bench must be able to function during both pandemic and non-pandemic times, be safe and durable for public use without need for maintenance during a three-month period.
LOCATION
The winning benches will be fabricated and installed in Venice, Italy. All entries will be showcased on the CC website.
ELIGIBILITY
The open call invites design students from around the world to enter.
