Moments from Australia Pavilion, Giardini

The current Australian pavilion, a stark black granite and glass box designed by the Melbourne firm Denton Corker Marshall, opened in 2015, replacing a modest 1988 structure that had become the smallest and least functional national pavilion in the Giardini. The architects deliberately built it low and dark, partly a practical response to strict height restrictions in the historic park and partly a design choice meant to let the art inside do the talking rather than compete with an attention-grabbing building, the opposite instinct from several neighboring pavilions that treat their architecture as part of the exhibition.

Because the exterior gives away almost nothing, walk in without expectations rather than trying to guess the show from outside, the flexible internal gallery is designed to be reconfigured completely for each artist Australia sends, so the pavilion can look and feel entirely different every edition. Its position in the Giardini puts it within easy reach of several other national pavilions on the walking loop, so treat it as one stop on a longer circuit through the park rather than a destination in isolation.