ADMIRAL REFRIGERATOR REPLACEMENT PARTS

Biennale of Architecture 2008 - Giardini, VENICE
project: Sideways
national pavilion: Czech and Slovak Republic

This is perhaps my favorite national presentation at this Biennale. Very interesting concept coming from Czech and Slovak Republic, dealing with ordinary people's lives and habits seen through their refrigerators. I had so much fun in this pavilion. at first I didn't realize what's going on, and just when I wanted to get out of yet another wanna-be-catchy-and-super-interesting-but-at-the-same-time-cruelly-minimalistic national pavilion, I noticed that the structure in front of me was actually a row of ordinary domestic refrigerators (my architecture hungry mind didn't let me comprehend that right from the start)! then, what the hell.... then, you read the notes placed on the fridges' doors, and realize the whole point of the show. presenting different families, each with a different social status, income, number of members, marriage status, and other facts, through the supplies in their refrigerators. I couldn't stop laughing, luckily for me (and unfortunately for Czech and Slovak Rep) I was alone in there, so I could laugh as much as I wanted. I was thrilled with the idea. then I started opening each and every one of those refrigerators and inspecting different produce. To my great surprise I saw occasional notes in there saying "item stolen" or "item expired" or "item irreplaceable", then I started laughing even harder! Considering that some of those fridges were quite smelly, because of rotten vegetables, cheeses and other goodies, I guess there was a respectable number of hungry visitors, hahahah (including me). but I liked the idea and the exhibition too much to eat it...
And now you all wonder what does this all have to do with architecture? Honestly, not much. But, since this year's theme is "Architecture beyond building" we can stretch the meaning of architecture infinitely. it could be architecture of a single family or architecture of single human life seen through the aspects of economy, customs, food, urban context etc. whatever the point of view, this is an interesting social experiment. and fun. just go and smell those fridges! hahahah... ...... ...

This was one of those days where I just could not motivate myself even to the simple task of finding a good picture. I did, however, write for two hours first thing this morning and came out with what I feel is a pretty good article, but the rest of the day wasn't so productive. It seems like when I shiver a lot from the cold, I get really tired. I turned up the heat, and it was warmer than it has been, so I may be trying to fight a flu or something. Anyway, the way a creative person deals with being cold, tired, and a bit down, is to create something out of all of it... hence today's poem.