The Venice Architecture Biennale 2023: The laboratory of the future
2023.05.29
【 THE 18TH INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITION OPENS ITS DOORS 】
The 18th Venice Architecture Biennale will open its doors to the public from May 20 to November 26, 2023, under the title The Laboratory of the Future. Curated by Ghanaian-Scottish architect Lesley Lokko, this year’s international architecture exhibition is focused on combating climate change by promoting a more sustainable model for the design, installation, and operation of all its events, while reflecting on the themes of decolonization and decarbonization. At the same time, the Biennale shines a spotlight on Africa and the African Diaspora, with 89 participants, over half of whom are of African descent. The main show, on display at the Giardini pavilion and the Arsenale grounds, boasts renowned contributors such as Adjaye Associates, atelier masōmī, Hood Design Studio, Ibrahim Mahama, Kéré Architecture, MASS Design Group, Theaster Gates, Andres Jaque, Neri & Hu, while the list of special participations features Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai, photographer James Morris from Wales and London-based multi-disciplinary artist Lionheartfelt.
Before the start of the event, it has been announced that Nigerian-born artist, designer, and architect, Demas Nwoko, is the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
【 THE LABORATORY OF THE FUTURE 】
The 2023 International Architecture Exhibition focuses on agents of change, introducing a new way of thinking. ‘What does it mean to be ‘an agent of change’? (…) In May last year, I referred to the exhibition several times as ‘a story’, a narrative unfolding in space.’ states Lesley Lokko.‘Today, my understanding has changed. An architecture exhibition is both a moment and a process. It borrows its structure and format from art exhibitions, but it differs from art in critical ways which often go unnoticed. Aside from the desire to tell a story, questions of production, resources, and representation are central to the way an architecture exhibition comes into the world, yet are rarely acknowledged or discussed. From the outset, it was clear that the essential gesture of The Laboratory of the Future would be ‘change’.’
The Laboratory of the Future is conceived as an exhibition separated into six parts and includes and 89 participants from across the globe. ‘Central to all the projects is the primacy and potency of one tool: the imagination’ explains the curator. ‘It is impossible to build a better world if one cannot first imagine it.’
The event is complemented by ‘Carnival,’ a six-month-long series of events, including lectures, panel discussions, films, and performances, that delve into this year’s themes. A diverse group of famed architects, including Sir David Adjaye OM OBE, Issa Diabaté, Mariam Issoufou Kamara, Walter Hood, Christian Benimana, and Felecia Davis, will participate in a thought-provoking meeting titled ‘Force Majeure: a Conversation.’ Lesley Lokko will join them on the stage of Teatro Piccolo Arsenale as they discuss their personal and professional interests and concerns that have influenced their practices and responses to architecture in general, as well as their contributions to the Exhibition.
In addition to the main venues of the Giardini and Arsenale, a series of collateral events are taking place around the city, including ‘A Fragile Correspondence – Scotland + Venice’, ‘Catalonia in Venice_ Following the Fish’, ‘Diachronic Apparatuses of Taiwan’, and more.
【 NATIONAL PARTICIPATIONS 】
As every year, the national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023, provide a diverse range of responses and exhibits that complement the main show. Set across the historic locations of Giardini and Arsenale, as well as in various venues throughout Venice, the program encourages visitors to embark on a journey of discovery, navigating the city’s intricate canals and streets in search of exhibitions.
Full article here: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/venice-architecture-biennale-2023-laboratory-future-african-diaspora-climate-change-02-22-2023/
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▪ Source: Designboom
▪ Words: Myrto Katsikopoulou
▪ Photography Credit: © La Biennale di Venezia, © Ayrson Heráclito, © Ahmed Yasser, © Muoto, Georgi Stanishev and Clémence La Sagna, © German Pavilion Venice, © Georgian Pavilion, © Lauren Leving, © Uzbekistan’s National Pavilion
