Vão designs Bienal de São Paulo's exhibition
Founded by Anna Juni, Enk te Winkel, and Gustavo Delonero, the studio’s project explores the unique aspects of the iconic Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion at Ibirapuera Park (Sao Paulo), designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1957. Their project delves into the relationship between the exhibition space and the audience’s flows, breaking away from the conceptual and structural conventions of the building. To strengthen the visitor’s experience, the team relocated their office to the pavilion, enriching an ‘in situ’ ongoing process. Their radical intervention marks the first time that the pavilion undulating central opening is entirely enclosed, reimagining the original spatiality.
For the architects: "From the outset, we sought a design that stood between the desire not to reenact the existing spatial choreography and yet not impose an entirely disconnected choreography of our own. We wanted to dance with the existing and the available. In other words, beyond reusing materials from previous exhibitions, our goal was to create spaces based on the constructive elements that constitute the Pavilion."
The young studio is renowned for integrating a strong artistic expression into their projects, ranging from residential to workspace designs, as well as for their originality, environmental commitment, and careful material understanding. In 2017, they collaborated on the installation ‘Chão de Caça’ by artist Cinthia Marcelle for the Brazilian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which received an honorable mention. In 2022, they were awarded the Début Prize in the 6th edition of the Lisbon Triennale and were included in the list of best New Practices by ArchDaily.
Casa s/d n.º1, vão arquitectura © Pedro Kok
Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes, and Manuel Borja-Villel, the São Paulo Biennial will be open to the public from September 6th to December 10th, 2023.