Spanish Pavilion- Lara Almaracegui

The work of Lara Almaracegui (Zaragoza, Spain, 1972) is highly recognized for her constant research around waste, demolitions, constructions and deconstructions which she has developed in cities like London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Liverpool, Istambul. And has also exhibited in biennals like Sao Pablo's, and this year at The Venice Biennale at the Spanish pavilion, curated by Octavio Zaya.

When entering this pavilion, all you will see are mountains of different construction materials (glass, stone, cement, steel etc.) in the same amount that was used to build the same pavilion it's standing in, Almaracegui even treated the bricks and stone to make it the same quality of the ones made in Venice.

While the space being completely modified by this giant mountains of materials creates a direct interaction with architecture and with the viewer by modifying the way it can be approached. Having a building completely deconstructed right before your eyes, changes your perception of the place we're standing in, it is the place between nature's prime matter and the land that man claims as its own, when piling up these bricks and stones. In Zaya's words :

"Almaracegui's work is not only formal or ontological, but also social, as pointing to the historical nature of the building materials being used, and addresses the complex interactions between materials, economy and space ..." 

 The other work she is showing is a video called "A Guide to Sacca San Mattia", which is an small part of Murano's island made up of all the waste from the glass factories, it is an ongoing project.

Here's a link to an interesting video of her project "Abandoned River Park"