In the midst of the Venice Biennale media crush, openings and general party reverie, walking into and through the Czech/Slovak pavilion was a much needed respite and a literal breath of fresh air.

Roman Ondák, a Slovakian artist, teamed up with botanical experts to seamlessly render the pavilion, as a structure, incidental. He did so by bringing the natural environment of the Biennale’s Giardini into the building itself.

Called “Loop,” Ondák’s installation effectively renders the building, which dates itself by still have “Czechoslovakia” in stark bronze letters as its title superfluous. Many failed to notice the pavilion as they walk through it. However, seeing it in all the hype of attending hundred of shows and events became a quiet gift in itself.

Working with the  unnatural setting of national pavilions, Ondák’s invisible work makes a strong statement and is one of the most successful pavilions at the Giardini.

By merging the inside with the outside, the artist attempts to make the structure disappear.

“It’s hard to say who I am representing,” Ondák tells SMAC, “I am representing Slovakia in the Czechoslovakian pavilion… Of course I am representing my country, but at the same time, it feels as though I am not here. Or my work is not here.”