The Austrian pavilion is a national pavilion of the Venice Biennale. It houses Austria's official representation during the Biennale.
The Austrian pavilion is a national pavilion of the Venice Biennale. It houses Austria's official representation during the Biennale.
The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists, known for propelling career visibility. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions held throughout Venice. The Biennale's parent organisation also runs regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music and theatre.
Outside the central international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings – such as the 30 housed in the Giardini – are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in venues throughout the city.
The Austrian pavilion was designed by Josef Hoffmann, a co‑founding architect of the Vienna Secession, whose submission won a contest. Although designs for the pavilion date from 1913, construction was not completed until 1934. The building was restored in 1984 by Hans Hollein.
