Layers of Exhibition

The Venice Biennale and Comparative Art Historical Writing

Abstract

A research project at the Swiss Institute for Art Research in Zurich analyzes the individual national participations in the Venice Biennale from 1895 until today. Focusing on the frequently marginalized Central European nations, the project aims to stress the role of exhibitions in the construction of 20th-century art history. The application of a common modular structure in all research will assure its comparability and reveal cultural shifts and similarities among participating nations. The concept of a universal modernity will therefore be avoided. In a short presentation brief accounts of the architecture of the Hungarian, U.S. and Romanian Pavilions will give insight into the comparative approach of the project.