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Venice Pavilion – Master Builders
The Slovenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
2025
Status
Built
Location
Venice, Italy
Area
113 m²
Program
Research and exhibition
Design
Ognen Arsov
Ana Kosi
Žiga Rošer
Blaž Šenica
Valentina Tina Božak
Teodora Petruševič
Jakob Marčič
Urša Koželj
Nik Štrubelj
Commissioner
Maja Vardjan
Professional consultants
Boštjan Vuga
Jeff Bickert
Graphic design
Studio Nejc Prah
Video
Rok Kajzer Nagode
Photography
Klemen Ilovar
Producer
Muzej za arhitekturo in oblikovanje (MAO)
Strategic partner
Tosidos
The Slovenian pavilion project addresses the development of construction technology, which today includes robotics, prefabrication, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and other technologies, and in so doing highlights an unexpected paradox. Despite the many technological advances, the quality and evolution of the built environment still strongly depends on the tacit knowledge of craftsmen on the construction site. The range of their skills, which significantly contributes to translating a design into quality architecture, is essential for the materialization of structures. Through the process of constructing a series of totems, the authors of the pavilion explore the relationship between architect, craftsman, and architecture.
The Slovenian pavilion at the Arsenale features four totems that represent a family of of master craftsmen from the construction site, and a large-format documentary video about the process of their construction. A totem is a spirit being, object or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group, tribe, or clan. Our totems are constructed and executed as a physical manifesto of craftsmanship.
The Slovenian pavilion project is the result of an experimental process that examines the relationship between the architect, the craftsman, and architecture. The totems are designed using standard methods and tools used in architectural planning. The totems’ component parts were designed based on the making and construction techniques used on construction sites in Slovenia today, and were constructed on a construction site in Kranj, some 35 km north of the capital Ljubljana. The totems were built based on the submitted plans, the bill of quantities, and the technical report, in constant communication between the architects and the master craftsmen on the site.
The placement of the totems in the Arsenal responds to the particular exhibition space, while at the same time creating interactional exchange between them. Showcasing particular skills and techniques, the totems embody the transmission of craftspeople’s know-how from the abstract and invisible to the concrete and tangible, opening up space for their reflection in the broader architectural discourse. The totems showcase the specific skills of master craftsmen; but placed in the pavilion, they serve not only as representations of particular people, but as a symbol or signifier of mastery that transcends individuals, leaving them open to new stories, interpretations, and associations.
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Exploded Axonometry
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Process
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Totem 1
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Totem 2
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Totem 3
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Totem 4
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