In Venice's Giardini, the garden founded by Napoleon, more than twenty national exhibitions can be seen during the 19th Architecture Biennale. How they respond to Carlo Ratti's proposed slogan "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective " ("Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.")? What do they tell us about the state of the world, architecture and the profession?
A&B partners at the Biennale
Twenty-six countries are presenting their exhibitions at the Giardini, including Poland with the exhibition "Lars and Penates. On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture" and the United Kingdom, awarded by an international jury, with the moving exhibition "GBR - Geology Of Britannic Repair."
old/new materials
The creation of new building materials, as well as the reuse of existing ones, was one of the clearer themes explored at the Giardini exhibitions.
Denmark Pavilion
Søren Pihlmann, curator of the Danish Pavilion's "Build of Site" exhibition, comprehensively researched building at Giardini in order to make the best possible use of materials already present in the building. Materials previously considered waste combined with biosolids show the possibilities of reuse. Re-use in its purest form!
© Louisiana Channel
Canada Pavilion
A completely different direction was pointed by curators from the Living Room Collective (consisting of: Andrea Shin Ling, Nicholas Hoban, Vincent Hui and Clayton Lee), creators of the experimental exhibition "Picoplanktonics." The impressive organic structures prove that collaboration between man and nature can produce remarkable results - for example, 3D printed structures containing picoplanktons capable of sequestering carbon dioxide. Will they become the material of the future?
Canada Pavilion - "Picoplanktonics," curated by Living Room Collective
Photo: Luca Capuano | illustrations courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
climate catastrophe
The climate crisis and attempts to deal with it also resonated strongly at this year's Biennale. Will nature be the answer?
Belgium Pavilion
The Belgium Pavilion provides a respite while visiting the exhibitions in the Giardini, but also makes you think. The exhibition "Building Biospheres," curated by landscape architect Bas Smets and biologist Stefano Mancuso, is a prototype for research into plant-supporting technology. The central part of the pavilion is filled with a thriving tropical forest, whose condition is controlled by special sensors - the plants themselves decide when sprinklers are activated, when the lights are turned off or when ventilation is needed.
© Vlaams Architectuurinstituut
Germany pavilion
The German pavilion directly shows where we are today and the direction we are headed if we don't stop negative climate change. The "STRESSTEST" exhibition, prepared by a team including Nicola Borgmann, Elisabeth Endres, Gabriele G. Kiefer and Daniele Santucci, is divided into two parts: STRESS and DESTRESS, in which we can feel the unbearable extreme temperatures that our cities reach and the relief that nature can give.
Germany Pavilion - "STRESSTEST," curators: Nicola Borgmann, Elisabeth Endres, Gabriele G. Kiefer and Daniele Santucci
photo: Luca Capuano, photo: Marco Zorzanello | illustrations courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
no is more?
Hungary Pavilion
The exhibition "There is Nothing to See Here," curated by Márton Pintér, opens with the slogan: No is more.... proving that there is no more sustainable way out than not building. Deep inside the pavilion, we'll find a telling sight - an abandoned architectural studio. We will also learn inspiring stories of architects who left the profession and succeeded in another career path.
Hungary Pavilion - "There is Nothing to See Here," curated by Márton Pintér
Photo: Marco Zorzanello | illustrations courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
Kacper Kepinski, Michal Duda and Malgorzata Kuciewicz shared their thoughts on the main exhibition: What surprises the pavilions at the Giardini in Venice?
These are just a few of the exhibitions presented at Giardini. More information about the exhibitions at this year's Venice International Architecture Biennale will be in the pages of A&B in September!
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