Bringing the architectural significance of the 29 national pavilions to the attention of visitors, who usually do not really notice these buildings and their individual character and atmosphere when seeing an exhibition there, was the aim of the Common Pavilions project.
The celebrated Italian photographer Gabriele Basilico (1944–2013) has taken pictures of all the pavilions in the Giardini di Venezia. His masterful images are featured in large-format and lavish duotone printing. 30 authors from all 29 nations – architects, philosophers, and artists – have contributed short essays, writing on “their” national pavilion, its history and its identity as a space for presenting art. The essays appear in the book in English and in their original national language. Basilico’s images and the essays merge into a rich and atmospheric panorama of what is probably the world’s best known exhibition site.
Common Pavilions won a gold medal in the 2014 German Photo Book Award.