Kjellander + Sjöberg. Image Courtesy of Kjellander + Sjöberg
The Swedish exhibition, “The Forests of Venice,” has been selected as a Collateral Event for the 2016 Venice Biennale. Initiated by Kjellander + Sjöberg and Folkhem; and curated by Jan Åman, the exhibit highlights wood as a sustainable material, while looking at “the interaction between nature and the man-made human habitat in order to respond to climate change and limited resources.”
Ca' d'Ombre – The Palace of Shadows by In Praise of Shadows. Image Courtesy of Kjellander + Sjöberg
The exhibit examines Venice’s success as a hybrid between city and nature. As a geographically exposed coastal city, Venice demonstrates a unique symbiosis with nature. In a time when climate change and rising sea levels threaten coastal cities worldwide, the strategies of Venice – a city built on the foundations of ten million trees – are a key resource for solutions.
25 Trees by Arrhov Frick. Image Courtesy of Kjellander + Sjöberg
“The Forests of Venice” will be sited between the Venice Biennale’s two main exhibition venues – Giardini and Arsenale – in a greenhouse built in 1894. Exhibits will be located inside, and Kjellander + Sjöberg is creating an installation in solid timber in the adjacent garden.
Bottom-up by URBIO. Image Courtesy of Kjellander + Sjöberg
Some of Sweden’s most prominent architectural practices have come together to examine Venice’s relationship between the urban and the natural. The seven selected practices are: Architects without Borders Sweden; Arrhov Frick; DinellJohansson; Horn.Uggla; In Praise of Shadows; Carmen Izquierdo; and Urbio, as well as the installation by Kjellander + Sjöberg.
Sig Nordal 