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Unfolding Pavilion's Third Edition Tackles Venice's Island Privatization

architecture-design · 2026-04-27

The Unfolding Pavilion's third edition, titled 'Rituals of Solitude,' explores the privatization of the islands in Venice's archipelago and themes of new domesticity. Curated by Davide Tommaso Ferrando, it debuted on December 17, 2020, with a digital showcase on Zoom and Facebook, followed by a physical exhibit at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. This pavilion reimagines John Hejduk's 'House of the One Who Refused to Participate' as a symbol of modern living. The digital display includes contributions from twelve architects and critics, such as (ab)Normal and Bart Lootsma. During the Biennale's opening, visitors can see a replica of Hejduk's recently demolished house, critiquing the commercial aspects of the Biennale and examining the influence of digital mediation on historical narratives.

Key facts

  • Third edition of Unfolding Pavilion titled 'Rituals of Solitude'
  • Addresses privatization of Venice's islands and new domesticity
  • Launched December 17, 2020, with digital exhibition via Zoom and Facebook
  • Physical component during 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale
  • Reinterprets John Hejduk's 'House of the One Who Refused to Participate'
  • Twelve invited contributors: (ab)Normal, Bart Lootsma, James Taylor-Foster & Anton Valek, Fala, WAI Architecture Think Tank, Mariabruna Fabrizi + Fosco Lucarelli & Giaime Meloni, Fosbury Architecture, Space Popular & Shumi Bose, Matteo Ghidoni, Aristide Antonas, MAIO, Traumnovelle
  • Plans to visit site of demolished replica of Hejduk's house during Biennale
  • Inspired by Francesco Dal Co's 1980 book '10 immagini per Venezia'
  • Critiques Biennale's commercial dynamics while relying on its global audience

Entities

Artists

  • Davide Tommaso Ferrando
  • John Hejduk
  • Michael Sorkin
  • Carlo Scarpa
  • Ignazio Gardella
  • Gino Valle
  • Francesco Dal Co
  • Bart Lootsma
  • James Taylor-Foster
  • Anton Valek
  • Mariabruna Fabrizi
  • Fosco Lucarelli
  • Giaime Meloni
  • Matteo Ghidoni
  • Aristide Antonas
  • Shumi Bose
  • Cruz Garcia
  • Nathalie Frankowski
  • Sissi Cesira Roselli

Institutions

  • Unfolding Pavilion
  • Venice Architecture Biennale
  • WAI Architecture Think Tank
  • Fala
  • Fosbury Architecture
  • Space Popular
  • MAIO
  • Traumnovelle
  • Artribune
  • NBC

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Cannaregio
  • Venice archipelago

Sources