A panel discussion at Palazzo Trevisan on 28 August served as prelude of the „Salon Suisse“ to the accompanying program of the Swiss Pavilion at the 13th Architecture Biennale in Venice. Numerous guests from the world of architecture, culture and business followed the discussion on the topic „Common Images: Architecture and the Iconic Turn“, which was moderated by ETH Zurich Professor Philip Ursprung.
Venice. Under the motto „Common Images: Architecture and the Iconic Turn“ a panel discussion took place on 28 August at the Palazzo Trevisan, as the opening event for the „Salon Suisse“. Under the chairmanship of the architectural historian Philip Ursprung (Faculty of Architecture, ETH Zurich) the Spanish architect Iñaki Ábalos, the Swiss photographer Hélène Binet, Barry Bergdoll (curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York), the architectural historian Beatriz Colomina who teaches in Princeton and the ETH professors Miroslav ?ik, Adam Caruso and Karin Sander (all ETH Zurich) discussed the topic in front of many interested listeners.
The main focus of discussion was the concept of the so called „iconic turn“ that has characterized the theoretical debate in visual culture during the past two decades, but has so far barely affected architecture. The term „icon turn“ attempts to describe that since the 1980s and 1990s the world is perceived no longer read as a text, but rather perceived as an image. On the occasion of the exhibition of Miroslav ?ik at the Swiss Pavilion and his role as a protagonist of the analogue architecture the question was controversially discussed, if and how the idea of the picture helps to understand better the history and current situation of architecture. The speakers analyzed whether images have strengthened architecture as a communicative element and have helped to transgress limits of language, culture and economic categories – or are rather responsible for the homogenization of a globalized architecture. Another subject of the fascinating debate was the question of whether images have improved the architectural representation – or rather made it more uniform – and whether they will gain or lose importance in the future.
The „Salon Suisse“ is an event programme by Pro Helvetia accompanying the Swiss contribution to the Architecture Biennale 2012 in Venice with readings, lectures, discussions, workshops and performances at the Palazzo degli Ulivi Trevisan. It consists of three series of early evening events: Topic of the first part of the programme „Talking architecture, theory… and a touch of the Swiss“ (28.8.-1.9.) is architecture as a scientific discipline, with a focus on the influence of Miroslav ?ik. The second event block „Talking architecture practice,… and a touch of the Swiss“ (16.-20.10.) devotes itself to architectural practice, highlights the peculiarities of Swiss architecture and draws comparisons with the situation in the UK. The third series „Talking architecture, media… and a touch of the Swiss“ (20.-24.11.) finally deals with the perception and mediation of architecture through publications, exhibitions and media reports. The salon, which was initiated by the Swiss Cultural Foundation Pro Helvetia, is curated in 2012 by Robert Guy Wilson (editor of „Block“ and „Uncube“) and is part of the official „Collateral Events“ of the Biennale. Official partner of the programme is the Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen. „We appreciate the Biennale as a place for a lively international exchange of knowledge in architecture and want to support this with our commitment for the Salon Suisse“, said Alberto Magrans, Senior Managing Director of the Laufen Bathrooms AG.
In addition to the official event programme, the „Salon Suisse“ will be open for the public during the three weeks of the events from Tuesday to Saturday between 5.30 pm and 9.30 pm, to offer all visitors a platform for discussions, exchange of experiences, debates and meetings with like-minded peers and protagonists. A detailed program for the „Salon Suisse“ and the complete profile of the Swiss contribution in Venice is available at: www.biennials.ch
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