“On 1 June 2011, at the 54th Venice Art Biennale, the Australia Council for the Arts announced plans for a new Australian pavilion in the Venice Giardini to replace the current pavilion designed by Philip Cox. A new pavilion is a great opportunity for Australian art and architecture. Unfortunately, the Australia Council ‘does not envisage a public competition.’ As announced in The Age, the pavilion design will be the result of a closed competition with the final design chosen ‘by invitation, from a small hand-selected group of Australian architects.’ This is disappointing news. A closed competition promotes an elitist view of the profession and will not ensure the best result for the pavilion and the display of art and architecture. Imagine Australia without the Sydney Opera House or Federation Square. Imagine Berlin without the Jewish Museum, Paris without the Pompidou Centre or Chicago without the Tribune Tower. These are just a few of the many great examples that were outcomes of open architectural competitions.”
Read the article on Australian Design Review:
The Australian Pavilion in Venice: art over architecture, or privilege over opportunity?