Art

V&A Explores Storage Systems at Venice Biennale 2025

The V&A and Diller Scofidio + Renfro present On Storage at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, a deep dive into global storage architecture.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera April 28, 2025

On Storage Venice Biennale 2025 — Examples of 'Hacked End' displays at V&A East Storehouse © Diller Scofidio + Renfro

From 10 May to 23 November 2025, the Applied Arts Pavilion Special Project at the Venice Architecture Biennale will feature On Storage, an ambitious collaboration between La Biennale di Venezia and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

Curated by Brendan Cormier, Chief Curator of V&A East, in partnership with acclaimed firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), the exhibition offers a profound reflection on the global architecture of storage.

Central to the project is a newly commissioned six-channel film installation, Boxed: The Mild Boredom of Order, directed by Elizabeth Diller.

This cinematic meditation follows the journey of a toothbrush through vast storage infrastructures—from warehouses to suitcases—revealing the invisible mechanisms that organize our material world.

How Does On Storage Address the Role of Storage in Our Lives?

Storage is essential but often invisible. On Storage examines how storage infrastructures—from shipping containers to household closets—form the backbone of global economies and personal lives.

The installation uses documentary footage to spotlight the systems and workers that keep goods moving, while drawing connections between private, public, and industrial spaces.

The pavilion features:

Large-scale photographs of the V&A East Storehouse
DS+R’s original architectural model and sketchbook for the Storehouse
Behind-the-scenes photography by emerging East London artists

Together, these elements underscore the importance of storage as critical infrastructure and cultural mirror.

What Is the V&A East Storehouse and Why Is It Groundbreaking?

Scheduled to open on 31 May 2025, the V&A East Storehouse is a revolutionary cultural venue located at Here East in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, it offers unprecedented public access to over 600,000 objects spanning art, design, and history.

Highlights include:

The Kaufmann Office (Frank Lloyd Wright)
A 15th-century Torrijos Palace ceiling
A Frankfurt Kitchen
Architectural fragments from Robin Hood Gardens
The Agra Colonnade from Mughal India
A monumental Ballets Russes stage cloth

Visitors can explore these artifacts without glass barriers, moving through a “Weston Collections Hall” that spans three levels.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida por V&A East - Stratford (@vamuseumstratford)

How Do Brendan Cormier and Elizabeth Diller Frame the Narrative?

Brendan Cormier describes storage as “critical infrastructure” vital to the function of museums and modern economies. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Diller reflects on the “orthogonal discipline” of storage spaces that compress and order our possessions—from cargo ships to closets.

Their collaborative approach in On Storage transforms this mundane topic into a sweeping narrative about control, movement, and human experience within built environments.

On Storage at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

When is the exhibition open? From 10 May to 23 November 2025.
Where is it located? Sale d’Armi A, Arsenale, Venice.
What is the main feature of the exhibition? A six-channel film installation titled Boxed: The Mild Boredom of Order.
Who curated the project? Brendan Cormier of the V&A, with collaboration from Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
What does the exhibition reveal? It highlights how storage architectures silently shape economies, museums, and personal lives.

At Venice Biennale 2025, On Storage transforms a typically unseen aspect of daily life into a subject of architectural and philosophical inquiry. By connecting vast logistics systems with the intimacy of personal belongings, the V&A and DS+R offer visitors a rare glimpse into the architectures that quietly define our existence.