Overview

The German Pavilion’s “Thresholds” exhibition at the 60th Venice Art Biennale 2024 presented a groundbreaking exploration of boundaries—both physical and conceptual—through the collaborative works of artists Yael Bartana and Ersan Mondtag, curated by Çağla Ilk. The exhibition deliberately disrupted traditional viewing patterns by blocking the main entrance and creating alternative navigation routes, forcing visitors to experience new perspectives on themes of migration, nationalism, and ecological urgency. Walter’s Cube technology enabled comprehensive digital documentation of this exhibition, capturing its complex spatial interventions, multimedia installations, and thematic coherence that addressed humanity’s precarious existence and persistent longing for redemption.

The exhibition’s radical reimagining of the German Pavilion space featured Yael Bartana’s comprehensive body of work, including “Light To The Nations – Generation Ship” (2022), a floating 3D spaceship, alongside “Farewell” (2024), a single-channel video installation with ritualistic choreography, and “Life in the Generation Ship” (2022), featuring a hologram and immersive dome projection. Through close collaboration with Yael Bartana and her studio, Walter’s Cube technology achieved full digital documentation of these complex multimedia installations. Ersan Mondtag’s “Monument of an Unknown Man” was documented from the exterior, with the installation visible but not accessible for interior exploration.

The documentation project focused primarily on Yael Bartana’s multimedia installations through intensive collaboration with the artist and her studio. This partnership enabled comprehensive digital preservation of Bartana’s complex works, including advanced capture techniques for holographic displays and dome projections. The documentation challenges were significant, requiring innovative approaches to capture deliberately obstructed spatial navigation.

This project represents a significant achievement in preserving complex contemporary art exhibitions that challenge traditional spatial and conceptual boundaries. The digital documentation ensures that “Thresholds” continues to offer its profound meditation on boundaries and transcendence, maintaining its relevance for uncertain present and future audiences while establishing new standards for documenting spatially interventionist exhibitions.

Yael Bartana’s “Life in the Generation Ship” (2022)

Partners

German Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2024
Walter’s Cube (Digital Documentation Technology)
Yael Bartana and Studio (Primary Artist Collaboration)
Curator: Çağla Ilk
Artists: Yael Bartana, Ersan Mondtag

Key Features

Comprehensive 3D documentation of spatially disruptive exhibition design
Advanced capture techniques for holographic displays and dome projections
Documentation of deliberately obstructed navigation patterns
Integration of multimedia installations with architectural heritage
Extended documentation beyond traditional pavilion boundaries

Project Goals

Preserve Yael Bartana’s comprehensive multimedia installations through artist collaboration
Document complex technical elements including holograms and immersive projections
Maintain thematic coherence addressing boundaries, migration, and ecological crisis
Capture the relationship between contemporary works and architectural heritage
Create accessible digital experiences preserving emotional and intellectual resonance

Technical Innovation

The project addressed unprecedented documentation challenges through innovative solutions:

Spatial Navigation Documentation: Mapped alternative viewing routes while preserving the curatorial intention of forcing visitors to experience new perspectives
Multimedia Integration: Synchronized various media formats including holograms, dome projections, and video installations while maintaining immersive qualities
Architectural Context: Detailed documentation highlighting the contrast between historical structure and contemporary interventions

Documentation Achievements

Primary Focus on Bartana’s Work: Through close collaboration with Yael Bartana and her studio, achieved comprehensive digital preservation of all multimedia installations
Advanced Multimedia Capture: Successfully documented complex installations including the floating spaceship sculpture, holographic displays, and dome projections
Artist Collaboration: Established intensive partnership with Bartana’s studio ensuring artistic vision was preserved in digital format
Exterior Documentation: Captured Ersan Mondtag’s installation from external viewpoints while maintaining focus on Bartana’s immersive works

Cultural Impact

The “Thresholds” documentation project demonstrates the critical importance of sophisticated documentation technologies in preserving exhibitions that operate at the intersection of historical critique and speculative future-making. The project preserved a significant exploration of contemporary global crises through art while documenting innovative curatorial practices that challenge traditional exhibition formats.

The digital preservation maintains accessibility to complex multimedia installations beyond the exhibition duration, creating a lasting record of critical dialogue between historical architecture and contemporary art. This documentation ensures that the exhibition’s profound exploration of humanity’s precarious existence and persistent longing for redemption continues to resonate with future audiences, contributing to the broader field of digital cultural preservation and access.