Venice Architecture Biennale 2016: unsettling scenes of building sites are screened amidst a full-scale scaffolding structure inside Poland's Biennale pavilion, which focuses on the plight of the construction worker (+ slideshow).
A full-scale scaffolding structure occupies the Polish Pavilion
With Poland seen by many countries as a source of cheap construction labour, curator Dominika Janicka and colleagues Martyna Janicka and Micha? Gdak sought to highlight the difficult and often dangerous conditions experienced by builders.
Distressing scenes of building sites are projected onto screens around the room
They claim that the construction worker is the "one of the most underrepresented participants in architecture", with working conditions and respect often overlooked in favour of deadlines and budgets. To show the extent of this, they produced a series of documentaries about different construction sites in Poland.
The aim is to highlight the difficult and often dangerous conditions experienced by construction workers
These films show footage of working conditions, many of which induce a sense of vertigo. They show builders putting themselves in potentially life-threatening situations, in the use of heavy machinery and atop high-rise structures.
The films also include interviews where builders share their personal experiences, ranging from the length of the working day to training and payment.
Rough wooden boards provide seating, encouraging peopl...