Architecture Swiss pavilion in Venice commemorates architect Lisbeth Sachs
The Swiss contribution to the 19th Architecture Biennale in May will be dedicated to the architect Lisbeth Sachs. With the Swiss pavilion, the five curators of the Annexe group want to draw attention to the historical absence of female architects at the Biennale.
15.01.2025, 11:30
SDA
Working between Geneva and St. Gallen, the Annexe group - consisting of architects Elena Chiavi, Kathrin Füglister, Amy Perkins and Myriam Uzor - have collaborated with artist Axelle Stiefel for the Swiss contribution. For the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, the curators have chosen the exhibition title "Final form is determined by the architect on the building site", as Pro Helvetia announced on Wednesday. Their contribution asks what would have happened if Lisbeth Sachs, rather than Bruno Giacometti, had designed the Swiss pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale di Venezia.
Sachs (1914-2002) was the first female architect to be registered in Switzerland and was always perceived as being inferior to her male colleagues. In 1958, she created a temporary art gallery in Zurich for the Swiss Exhibition for Women's Work. The curators now want to revive this in Venice.
According to Sachs' approach, the curators want to create a "fragmented, immersive spatial memory". This includes a sound installation that turns the pavilion into a "multi-sensory experience space". The installation includes field recordings of conversations, landscapes or construction work, for example.
The 19th Architecture Biennale will take place in Venice from May 10 to November 23. The main exhibition is called "Intelligens". Switzerland has its own pavilion on the exhibition grounds, which was designed by Swiss architect Bruno Giacometti and built in the early 1950s. Pro Helvetia is responsible for its operation.
