Scotland + Venice: Dispatch 11 of 12

The Happenstance: a Lively Scottish-Venetian freespace: Phineas Harper

In this dispatch, critic and curator, Phineas Harper sets the scene of the Biennale by looking at how it is indeed far from the theme of a Freespace itself. He asks what the role of the Biennale is and how little engagement it has with Venetians. In contrast, he writes, rather than a fixed exhibition to be experienced as a static work, The Happenstance was a multi-faceted armature built to host an ongoing festival of play, performance and making, freely open to all. The usually neglected Venetians took the project to heart – news of it was spread by word of mouth.

The Happenstance / Scotland + Venice: Scotland’s critically acclaimed contribution to the 16th International Architecture exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia 2018. Curated by WAVEparticle.

The image shows young piper Andrew Bell leading a group of people where bright costumes to the local Sagra Festival. Mr Gobby – the inflatable mouth by Pester and Rossi – hangs above the door inviting people into The Happenstance.

Image credit: Brian Hartley

Posted 16 September 2020.