The Slovenian Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia was opened by commissioner Matevž Čelik, director of MAO. After thanking all that made Home at Arsenale possible, he highlighted the high-spirited approach of the curators Tina Gregorič and Aljoša Dekleva to creating and curating the national representation at La Biennale.

The second part of the official presentation saw Tina Gregorič and Aljoša Dekleva presenting the concept of [Home at Arsenale], a curated library. By establishing a site-specific wooden inhabitable structure, they conceived an abstract compact home which performs as a curated library and operates as a platform for exploring the concepts of home and dwelling. The curators emphasised that the installation is open to all potential visitors, since the curated library shows off many different genres and fields of knowledge. They invited participants from different cultural backgrounds as they wanted to have an insight into the notions of diverse cultures. The opening closed with participants like Arno Brandlhuber – BRANDLHUBER+, Matija Bevk – BEVK PEROVIC architetti, Rok Oman– OFIS arhitekti, Christian Pottgiesser – CHRISTIAN POTTGIESSER ARCHITECTURESPOSSIBLES (CPAP), Emmanuel Rubio discussing the books they chose for the library and the reasons behind the selection. Opening of the pavilion in photos>>

At Home at Arsenale
The material used for the pavilion is Slovenian wood, however the reason behind the selection goes beyond the national bond. The wood of the installation reflects the historical link between Venice and Slovenia, since wood from the Karst region was used extensively for the foundations of the city on water. Wood also represents Slovenia’s primary resource and therefore the pavilion highlights its underused potential as a construction material for domestic spaces.

At the pavilion Tina and Aljoša introduced a few items of domesticity to emphasize the realm of home. They choose products that were designed and produced in Slovenia: doormat (designed and custom made by Oloop), skateboard (designed and custom made by Murksli custom boards), REX chair and coffee table (designed by Niko Kralj and made by REX Kralj), bay laurel (homegrown), bicycle (designed and made by ROG). At the pavilion in photos>>

Guests and visitors
Since the opening, three interviews and talks have been conducted with the invited architects, artists, critics and curators from various backgrounds that are participating with their selection of books. In the first [Home at Arsenale] interview Alice Rawsthorn, renowned design critic and author of critically acclaimed Hello World: Where Design Meets Life has pointed the crucial issues within the debate on home and dwelling in the times when so many lack a home. Additionally, she argued her conceptual selection of books for the curated library – novels only. The interview with the founding partner of experimental architectural and urban practice Raumlaborberlin Jan Liesegang dealt with the seminal 1:1 spatial and social tests, he talked about his family experiences from using a temporary home on completely public space on Unter den Linden in Berlin and learning from “shabbyshabby” projects.  Furthermore, he outlined his selection of the self-built manual How to Build Your Own Building Structures, by Ken Isaacs, 1974. Interview with the acclaimed Mexican architect engaged in researches and projects on social housing Tatiana Bilbao from Estudio Tatiana Bilbao focused among other things on a modular low-cost prototype house system adaptable and expandable to the resident’s needs, presented at the Chicago Architecture Biennale 2015. According to Tatiana home is about feelings, home is where you can create your own life, home can be created anywhere, but it can be also brought everywhere. Considering design as a specific response to the cultural and contextual environment, Tatiana Bilbao pointed out the importance of the Oscar Hagerman’s lesson by presenting his book. He was crucial in the definition of her way of thinking about architecture.Talks at the pavilion>>

In the months after the opening, [Home at Arsenale] is inhabited by many different people, like children and families, researchers, experts and other diverse groups. Thanks to the presence of a vast heterogeneous collection of books and fascinating cocoon design of the structure, people are interacting with the installation intellectually and physically, while various groups of students and many individuals visit the Library and take the list of selected books home for further readings,  researches and perhaps as foundations for their own private libraries.

More at Home at Arsenale.

Report by curatorial assistant Silvia Susana.