Rather transitional than transnational: the “meta-pavilions” of Germany and Russia at the 1993 Venice Biennale

The 45th International Art Exhibition held in 1993 represents a watershed in the history of the Venice Biennale. This was due to the transitional historical moment from the end of the Cold War to the onset of globalization, but also to the contribution of appointed curator Achille Bonito Oliva. The article investigates from a comparative approach two much-debated national pavilions presented on that occasion: those of the reunified Germany and the temporary Commonwealth of Independent States, which respectively presented Germania by Hans Haacke, and the Red Pavilion by Ilya Kabakov. Among all national participations, the two pavilions earned an unrivalled exposure and favourable reviews in both general and professional press. Both artists created large-scale site-specific installations which, by intervening on the existing architecture, challenged their status as a showcase of the “national character”. Within an Exhibition dictated by buzzwords such as “cultural nomadism”, “coexistence” and “transnationality”, the two pieces eventually restated the relevance of the national pavilions, showing their potential as artistic and curatorial tools.