The Russian Pavilion has decided to open its exhibition as digital at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, announced by the Russian Federation Pavilion's Facebook account and website.

The Russian Pavilion's theme is set as "Open!" and commissioned by Teresa Iarocci Mavica, co-founder, and director of the V-A-C Foundation and curated by OMA Partner, architect and urbanist Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli. 

Open! Sketch Identity. Image © KASA

In an announcement made by the Russian Federation Pavilion, the organization stated that from now on the pavilion manifests itself as a digital institution in anticipation of physical opening the Venice Architecture Biennale 2020 which was postponed to open August 29, 2020. 

"Open!", the Russian Federation's contribution to the year's Biennale, functions as a testing ground to investigate the public meaning of institutions, and to experiment with possible modes of coexistence, said the Russian Federation.

Image courtesy of the Russian Pavilion

"In the face of pandemic, the Pavilion will therefore progressively release its contents online, manifesting itself as a digital platform in the anticipation of the new opening date of the Biennale."

"With a virtual opening, it will kick-start a dialogue on the functions and values of (cultural) institutions."

The Russian Pavilion will announce its contributions, start and develop over the course of the next few months on the Pavilions's website and social media channels. 

Image courtesy of the Russian Pavilion

Announced its contributions on February 17, it will feature work by the architecture studio KASA (Kovaleva and Sato Architects), the multidisciplinary firm Lion & Unicorn, curator and co-founder of the Moscow International Film Festival Vladimir Nadein, artist and game designer Mikhail Maximov, sound artist Pavel Milyakov (aka Buttechno) and composer Vladmir Rannev and all the actors that are involved in the process of reconstruction of the Russian Pavilion.

You can follow the contents & announcements on the Russian Pavilion's website. 

Top image: Russian Pavilion 1914. Image courtesy of the Russian Pavilion

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