Venice Architecture Biennale: Merchandising by Tal Erez

At the end of this month, on August 29, the Venice Architecture Biennale will commence its 13^th exhibition; though the biennale is nominally centered on architecture, the three months is truly a celebration of history, nationality, and society. Israeli product designer Tal Erez represents this cultural aim through his line of 30 products that are inspired by Israeli-American relations and significant events in Israel’s history. Some of the merchandise employs humor in retrospect, such as the “Send a Settlement” postcard and a cup designed as a cylindrical oil shipping container, citing the oil crisis in 1977. Other pieces are more serious but elevated in beauty, as is the Carrier Ring, a bold piece of hardware jewelry that features a carrier ship on a jagged fragment of ocean. The ring can be interpreted as an opening statement for the Israeli Pavilion: Aircraft Carrier, a demonstration of the radical changes in Israeli architecture since 1973 and their American influences.

via