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Fig. 2.13
Water wARs, Piazza San Marco
by John Craig Freeman (
2011
). Augmented Reality.
Pavilion for undocumented artists/squatters and water war refugees in Piazza San Marco, Venice
In Venice, a city itself founded by refugees and threatened by constant flooding,
Water wARs calls attention to the escalating global struggle for this basic human
need, made increasingly scarce not only by environmental damage but also through
privatization of water supplies by multinational corporations. It questions the ability
of sovereign nations to isolate themselves from the rest of the world, as worldwide
ecological disasters drive people in desperation to violate the boundaries of the
nation-states in pursuit of sheer survival (Freeman
2011
).
John Cleater's work
Sky Pavilions
provides help for Venice from an unexpected
direction altogether - from above. Alien Sky Pavilions descend from outer space and
take over Venice: The mothership hovers over Piazza San Marco emitting a mixture
of nonsense and guidance to confuse and help tourists, natives, and art seekers
(Fig.
2.14
). In the Giardini alien “Floaties” lie in wait, begging to be touched, and
when activated by obliging visitors spin upwards, carrying secret messages to the
mother ship (Fig.
2.15
).
Sky Pavilions goes beyond the concept of the nation-state, beyond the concerns
of mere earthbound humanoids and reminds us that the last word in the control of
space may not be ours to decide (Cleater
2011
).
Lily and Honglei's work
The Crystal Coffin: Virtual China Pavilion
brings us
squarely back to earth and confronts us with the realities of our shifting national
structures. It is inspired by China's (current) Holy of Holies: Mao Zedong's crystal
coffin, a petrified symbol of eternal Party rule. Placing the crystal coffin into the
Giardini, the Sacred Grove of the Venice Biennale, both questions the traditional
