The Venice Architecture Biennale opened its doors to the public on 20 May. With The Laboratory of the Future as the main theme, the 18th edition considers how architecture can respond to the social and ecological challenges of today and tomorrow. For the Flanders Architecture Institute, the opening days meant the international launch of the Flanders Architectural Review N°15. Alliances with the Real.
This year’s edition is curated by academic and author, Lesley Lokko (Ghana/Scotland). When selecting the invited architects and themes, she deliberately chose the less-visible actors in building production. Through her curatorship, Lokko unites the themes of decolonisation and decarbonisation. Makers with African roots and architectural visions and solutions to the climate problem are therefore ubiquitous.
more about Lesley LokkoConcrete solutions to climate and socio-economic challenges are exhibited in numerous pavilions. In the Belgian pavilion, the architects from Bento (in collaboration with BC materials) present In Vivo, an installation on regenerative architecture. With tiles made from mycelium, or mushrooms, they show that we can also build with living materials. In their pavilion, the Dutch provide a permanent system that collects rainwater to irrigate the plants in the Giardini exhibition park. Austria, in turn, focuses on inclusion with a scheme to not only make the biennale less exclusive but to also involve the local residents. They propose a bridge between the Austrian pavilion and the adjoining district of Sant ’Elena.
more about the venice architecture biennaleBelgian Sammy Beloji’s installation stands out in the main exhibition at the Arsenale. Using a film with archival footage and a model and drawings of an unrealised pavilion for the 1935 World Expo, he shows how architecture was deployed as colonial propaganda. For this entry, Baloji, together with Twenty Nine Studio, received a special mention from the jury. Also at the Arsenale, Brussels-based Carton123 (in collaboration with BDR) presents the Kappaert school in Zwevegem. This design for a school for children with special needs and an art academy was realised through a unique participatory process. Brussels offices Ouest, Central, Traumnovelle and Maxime Delvaux are also part of a group installation.
more about the belgiansThe Flanders Architecture Institute and the Delegation of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region in Italy used the Architecture Biennale as a springboard for the international launch of the Flanders Architectural Review N°15. Alliances with the Real. During a book launch on 19 May, we handed the stage to several prominent speakers who discussed the principal themes of the book. Around 100 journalists and guests attended the debate between William Mann, Xaveer De Geyter, An Fonteyne and Hülya Ertas.
Brazil won this year’s Golden Lion for best national presentation with the exhibition Terra. The Golden Lion for best project on show went to DAAR with Alessandro Petti and Sandi Hilal (Stockholm; Bethlehem). Olalekan Jeyifous (Brooklyn, USA) took home the Silver Lion for a promising young participant. Special mentions went to Twenty Nine Studio / Sammy Baloji (Brussels, Belgium), Wolff Architects (Cape Town, Republic of South Africa) and Thandi Loewenson (London, UK).
from 20.05.2023 to 26.11.2023
