The exhibition at the Biennale in Venice reflected different aspects of Gigon/Guyer‘s explorations in the seven rooms of the small former depot building in the northern garden of the Arsenale. Employing the most direct and engaging of all media, namely film sequences and sound, they reveal facets of the basic, the everyday, the cooperative and the shared, where «common ground» meets the «genius loci», animated in moving pictures – with pets, cars, rain and, of course, people. All seven small rooms remained untouched: one of the rooms was still in use for maintenance, and for another room, which contained large empty oil tanks, Gigon/Guyer engaged Hans-Peter Frehner/ ensemble für neue musik zürich to develop a soundscape, using the existing tanks as instruments. This mirrored the architects’ approach to the site – at the Biennale and in general.
