Statement in English | Gernot Blümel

→ “Thoughts Form Matter” is the title of the Austrian Contribution to the 16th
International Architecture Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia. This places the
intervention in the Austrian Pavilion in the context of the general subject –
“Freespace”. In the manifesto that they published in 2017 the curators of the
Biennale Architettura 2018 and joint directors of Grafton Architects, Yvonne
Farrell and Shelley McNamara, describe Free Space or Free Spaces as “generosity
of spirit”. They place humanity in the sense of intellectual openness at the
core of their architectural agenda and interpret this approach in their work as
the mindful use of resources and, in particular, the aspiration to create spaces
of the highest quality. The Biennale Architettura 2018 enables the energy and
beauty of architecture to be revealed through the complexity and materiality of
surfaces and through the quality of architectural production as an expression of
underlying approaches.

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I am delighted that it was possible to persuade Verena Konrad to act as the
responsible Curator and Commissioner of the Austrian Pavilion. As participants
she has selected LAAC, Henke Schreieck and Sagmeister & Walsh, architects and
designers in whose work conceptual and creative free spaces play a central role.

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Austria’s participation in the Biennale Architettura represents an important contribution
to the international discourse on architecture and the built environment.
At the same time one of the best-known architecture exhibitions offers
the unique opportunity to draw attention to the current state of the architectural
scene here at home and to position this in the international debate. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank LAAC, Henke Schreieck, Sagmeister
& Walsh and Verena Konrad and to wish the exhibition every success and I am
very much looking forward to the assuredly positive reaction of visitors.