Latvian Pavilion TCL at the Venice Architecture Biennale
Venice, Italy
completed, 2023
Latvian Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia “The Laboratory of the Future” curated by Lesley Lokko - on view 20 May-26 November, 2023.
open competition, winning proposal, 2022
commissioned by: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia
commissioner: Jānis Dripe
design team: Ernests Cerbulis, Ints Menģelis, Karola Rubene, Toms Kampars
curator: Uldis Jaunzems-Pētersons
project manager: Austra Bērziņa
production & assistance: Mārcis Benužs, Solvita Bernande, Reinis Lansmanis, Markuss Brieze, Daniels Lāms, Jūlija Lazdiņa, Katrīna Mediniece, Kristaps Deičs, Krists Ernstsons, Caterina Coroneo, Linards Romka
supporters: DEI ARH, Magnum INT, Rimi Latvia
photos: Andrea Ferro, Kristaps Deičs, Andrea Avezzù
The Latvian Pavilion was transformed into a supermarket of architectural ideas — TCL. The products on its shelves represented 506 contributions from the previous ten editions of the Venice Architecture Biennale. Visitors—or rather, customers—could choose their favourites, place them in a shopping cart and receive a receipt at the checkout.
The theme of the 2023 Biennale, The Laboratory of the Future, offered an opportunity to revisit past ideas and consider their relevance today. By encouraging interaction between visitors and products, the pavilion became more than a static installation. It functioned as a public survey, revealing which architectural ideas continued to resonate.
Using artificial intelligence, each product was designed to reflect one of the previous Biennale contributions, incorporating its title into packaging inspired by familiar household goods and supermarket products. The recognizable retail setting made the archive playful, accessible and easy to explore.
