Shifting Ground by heneghan peng architects
Going With the Flow
Reminiscent of childhood days spent on playgrounds, Ireland’s pavilion at the ongoing Venice Architecture Biennale is comprised of a 12m, six-piece oscillating bench for visitors to play by balancing each other’s weight.
Wooden seats were inspired by an ancient Egyptian method for measuring water levels, in this case calibrated against the mark of the acqua alta (high tide) in the adjacent brickwork of the building. The responsive installation is both an allegory of social interdependency and a connection to materials and the elements.
The installation by heneghan peng architects is shown alongside a series of wall drawings. The Dublin-based studio was selected for the exhibition by curator John McLaughlin because of its cross-continental practice, best exemplifying Ireland’s high participation in the global flows of knowledge, data and products.
Photos by Marie-Louise Halpenny, courtesy heneghan peng architects.