PAV I L I O N 2 . S TA G N AT I O N
In Pavilion 2, Stagnation, times have considered to have drastically changed from Pavilion 1. It focuses on the beliefs and practices of the people in this current day and age, but does not completely diminish aspects of the past. Instead, history is collected and stored for viewing, so that the current society may learn not to repeat undesirable aspects of history. To portray this, Pavilion 2 encases fragments of Pavilion 1 in glass, which turns parts of Pavilion 1 into a passive exhibition of Pavilion 2, where people may learn and observe, but never again have to experience what has already happened. Instead, they will be able to focus on the present. To focus on the ‘present’, the Pavilion changes to accommodate for live events, talks and performances. This can range from curator talks from critical artists whose works are temporarily curated in the National Gallery of Victoria to engage the public in more serious issues for discussion, or even live performances by Victorian orchestras that allow the users to relish in the peace of current-day circumstances. It is suggested that the written form provides a means of “communicating experiences to the rest of Australian society”. However, oral histories tell these stories, as well as “reveal meanings with which workers invested their common experiences” (Taksa, 1994). Outdoor meetings provided workers with an “arena in which recreational” would mix with the social, political and industrial aspects of reflection (Taksa, 1994). This particular institution, unlike Pavilion 1, is transparent and honest, down to its core material, glass. This encourages public viewing from inside out, for all audiences, for all events, and nothing is kept hidden. In relation to the Australian worker context, Pavilion 1 was a relapse into the undesirable conditions of the past. Pavilion 2 has developed away from those conditions and provides a supportive environment for people to live in the present moment instead. 0
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Taksa, Lucy. 1994. “Toil, Struggle and Repose: Oral History and the Exploration of Labour Culture in Australia.” Labour History, no. 67: 116. https://doi.org/10.2307/27509279.
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