Floating Encounters: The nomadic art experience

WINNER of Open Source Biennale

+ WINNER

Open Source Biennale

[15780]

Floating Encounters: The nomadic art experience

Team

Name: Shubhangi Sharma

Instagram: @chaoscentral_shubhangi

Nationality: Indian

Institution / Company: School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal , India

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‘Floating Encounters’ reimagines the Venice Biennale as a fluid, citywide art experience. Instead of confining art to static exhibition spaces, this intervention transforms the entire city into a living gallery by utilizing floating pavilions.

Six pavilions dedicated to art, architecture, music, dance, cinema, and literature will be stationed at various points throughout Venice. Initially open-faced, these galleries invite local residents to contribute their artistic expressions directly. Once completed, the pavilions will be set adrift, their routes determined by the city’s currents and winds.

Each pavilion is a distinctive architectural form divided into two primary spaces: an upper exhibition area bathed in natural light through a skylight. The underwater space below becomes an area for dialogue and discussion. Finally closed with a kinetic façade that moves thus creating an intrigue by hiding yet revealing the exhibits when looked at from afar.

The unique aspect of this project is the potential for spontaneous encounters between galleries. When two or more pavilions dock together, they create unexpected meeting of art forms and audiences, fostering new dialogues and collaborations. This dynamic process underscores the idea that art is inherently unpredictable and cannot be controlled.

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Jury Comments

– [Hamidreza Khademi] Highly creative concept transforming Venice into a floating gallery. Major engineering challenges in creating stable, mobile floating structures. Safety and accessibility for visitors on water need careful consideration.

– [Nichola V. Barrington-Leach] Good idea to engage the city and the canals with the Biennale. The use of existing boats would be more feasible or the design could be reconsidered.

– [Olli Andrew] Nice idea, but I don’t see how this is much different from the current exhibitions apart from moving it around the city in cool floating pavilions. Nice design good effort.