Venice Architecture Biennale is commonly referred to as La Biennale di Venezia, is a major global art show that is held across the Italian city of Venice at a number of venues. One of the most significant cultural gatherings in the realm of contemporary art, the Biennale has been held in Venice since 1895. The Giardini and the Arsenale are the two primary venues for the Venice Biennale’s main exhibits. From 1895, the Venice Biennale was held mostly at Giardini Park in Venice. It has a variety of pavilions, each honouring a different nation, where local artisans display their creations. In close proximity to the Giardini, a disused shipyard has been transformed into an exhibition space called the Arsenale. The Venice Biennale includes a variety of ancillary events and exhibits that take place all throughout the city of Venice in addition to the main shows in the Giardini and the Arsenale. Independent curators and groups plan these events, frequently staged at Venetian landmarks and museums.
Its President and curator just unveiled the topic and title of the 2023 edition of the Venice Biennale. The event’s title suggests that it is the protagonist, and the topic will centre on the African continent as a key character in the future. The curator observes that because Africa is the region where all of these themes meet, questions of equity, racism, hope, and terror come together there. She further emphasises that at an anthropological level, we are all African, and what happens in Africa impacts us all. The theme of this biennale, “Africa as the lab for the future,” was inspired by Lesley Lokko’s research. It aims to redefine the terms “future” and “laboratory.” According to Lokko, architecture is more than simply making things; it’s also about designing places that honour and represent the many cultural identities of those who utilise them. She contends that to design places that have meaning and relevance for the people they serve, architects must comprehend the social and cultural environment in which they operate.
Portuguese Pavillion | Venice Architecture Biennale
The Fertile Futures project, organised by Andreia Garcia and assistant curators Ana Neiva and Diogo Aguiar, will be displayed at the Portugal pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2023. The project’s objectives are to solve problems with water resources in seven hydrographic regions of Portugal and to promote—contemplation on creating a sustainable, just, and fruitful future. Young architects provide sustainable future concepts for seven hydro geographies in Fertile Futures, working with experts from different fields of study. The case studies in Fertile Futures show the effects of the Anthropocene on the water in places such as the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, the International Douro, the Middle Tagus, the Alqueva Dam, the Mira River, and the Tâmega Basin.
Chilean Pavillion
According to the organisers, “Moving Ecologies” will focus on how, in the XIX century, projects like the Quinta Normal Park allowed people to envision the future of a nation undergoing modernisation thanks to architecture and science. Moreover, the idea parallels the research of soil recovery processes with endemic seeds and the present ecological repair and restoration difficulties.
According to official statements by the Undersecretary of Culture and the Arts, Andrea Gutiérrez, “The chosen exhibition proposal responds to important cultural and social issues related to the reconstruction of degraded land in Chile.”
Taiwan Pavillion
The Taipei Museum of Fine Arts, which organises the Taiwanese Pavilion, declared that it would investigate the intelligence ingrained in surrounding surroundings this year. “Diachronic Apparatuses of Taiwan” illustrates how residents have shaped their surroundings based on intuition throughout Taiwanese history. To relearn what we might be able to learn from nature, the initiative also promotes a debate concerning manmade and natural terrain.
The pavilion’s theme emphasises the necessity of revitalising the community’s fabric, which has been neglected for a long time. It implies that using lessons from the past can help us make better decisions in the twenty-first century. To uncover instances of local slang that may be used in the modern day, the curatorial team looked at Taiwan’s geography as a whole. The Taiwanese landscape is dotted with instances of humanity’s tectonic reactions to the environment, such as the greenhouses on the Chianan Plain, the tea plantations in Lishan, or the oyster farm shelters off the coast of Chiayi.
British Pavillion | Venice Architecture Biennale
Intangible architectural phenomena are examined in Dancing Before the Moon. It undermines our conception of the constructed world by emphasising individuals, groups, habits, and social conventions. The Pavilion opposes the conventional view of architecture based on physical structures and monetary systems in favour of reflecting how people utilise and occupy space. It presents an alternative viewpoint on how cultures interact with the land and geography and how communities work together to hold space via social interactions and production.
References:
- Venice Biennale (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice_Biennale [Accessed 24 March 2023]
- LA BIENNALE DE VENEZIA. Labiennale.org. Available at: https://www.labiennale.org/en [Accessed 24 March 2023]
- Romullo Baratto. “The Future of Water” Is the Theme of the Portuguese Exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023. Archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/998190/the-future-of-water-is-the-theme-of-the-portuguese-exhibition-at-the-venice-architecture-biennale-2023 [Accessed 24 March 2023]
- “Dancing Before the Moon”: British Council Announces Pavilion for the 2023 Venice Biennale. Archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/997042/dancing-before-the-moon-british-council-announces-pavilion-for-the-2023-venice-biennale?ad_campaign=special-tag [Accessed 24 March 2023]
- “Moving Ecologies”: Chile Announces Pavilion for the 2023 Venice Biennale. Archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/998306/ecologies-in-motion-chile-announces-pavilion-for-the-2023-venice-biennale [Accessed 24 March 2023]
- The Taiwan Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale Highlights the Intelligence Embedded in Surrounding Landscapes. Archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/997192/the-taiwan-pavilion-at-the-2023-venice-biennale-highlights-the-intelligence-embedded-in-surrounding-landscapes
[Accessed 24 March 2023]
