Austrian pavilion
The Austrian pavilion is a national pavilion of the Venice Biennale. It houses Austria's official representation during the Biennale. Background The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists known for propelling career visibility. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theater. Outside of the central, international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings, such as the 30 housed on the Giardini, are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in venues throughout the city. Organization and building The Austrian pavilion was designed by the Vienna Secession co-founding architect Josef Hoffmann, whose submission won a contest. Though designs for the pavilion trace to 1913, construction was not completed until 1934. The building was restored in 1984 by Hans Hollein.