When the “Laboratory of the Future” was announced as the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023The main theme of , he brought with him excitement and anticipation. No other biennial had addressed creativity and Africa in this way, and many participants had never exhibited at this renowned global showcase before. The result, born from the curator Lesley LokkoThe vision of putting the African continent in the spotlight does not disappoint. Open in the Italian city on May 20 (and through November 26, so plan your trip to Venice today), the 18th edition of the Venice Biennale architecture exhibition more than lives up to its expectations, offering a blend of imagination, in-depth research and a sense of discovery, doing exactly what any international festival of this type should do: spark conversation, broaden the field of action of the profession. horizons, and inviting more ideas, people and territories into its fold.
Venice Architecture Biennale 2023: “The laboratory of the future”
“The Laboratory of the Future” is, according to the biennial’s usual layout for its main exhibition, spread over two sites: the vast rooms and outdoor grounds of the Arsenale, and the generous central pavilion of the Giardini. Lokko’s conservation carefully plays on the strengths of each location, offering exhibitions adapted to the site, as well as a curatorial rhythm that takes the visitor on a journey combining intensity and respite; looks to the past, present and future; and includes “traditional” architectural elements (models, drawings, maps) and pieces that appear more abstract, but are no less powerful or informative.
The curatorial team has intelligently calculated a pace that meets the visitor’s need for an occasional break and takes into account the scale and nature of the biennial exhibition, while working with 89 contributors this year (a healthy number – for context, the 2018 exhibition organized by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara (the biennial had 71 entries and the 2016 exhibition by Alejandro Aravena had 88). True to its desire to offer a platform to underrepresented groups and in particular populations linked to the continent, more than half of the participants are from Africa or the African diaspora; overall gender parity is 50/50; and most participating studios are small – no big architecture or big corporate practices here.
Highlighting that something well started is only half finished, the entrance and initial sequences of the Arsenale and Giardini locations feel impactful, engaging, and set the scene well for what is to come. The first kicks off with a captivating video of artist and poet Rhael “LionHeart” Cape greeting visitors, followed by striking drawings and sculptures by Germaine Barnes, from Studio Barnes, which examine Western notions of classical antiquity and the idea of the column. Likewise, the Central Pavilion also starts with the cinema, this time in David Adjaye – while a side room, full of large-scale, incredibly detailed and impeccably executed architectural models of various new and ongoing projects by the practice, completes the moving picture (more models and a life-size pavilion of Adjaye and his team can be found at the Arsenale).
Lokko’s show comprises six sections, all of which have impressively achieved a sustainability label, highlighting the importance of rethinking the festival model towards a more environmentally friendly future. In Giardini, there is “Force Majeure,” which examines 16 key practices of African or diasporic identity – alongside Adjaye, he includes the Ivory Coast. Koffi & DiabatéBurkinabé based in Berlin Kéré Architectureand South Africa Sumayya ValleyCounterspace. Most of them are well-known names who have graced the pages of global publications for years and have numerous works under their belt. Here, they exercise their creativity on the theme of Lokko – some highlighting their work in progress and others creating new pieces inspired by the biennial.
Artist Olalekan Jeyifous’ installation, a room set up like the “All-Africa Protoport (AAP)” model, offers a glimpse of a potential future: a travel complex built on and pioneering renewable energy and green technology African indigenous people. He won the Silver Lion awarded to a promising young participant in the 18th Biennale. RCA tutor, architectural designer and researcher Thandi Loewenson’s “The Uhuru Catalogues”, a series of large-scale drawings etched into blocks of graphite, is also present, examining the geopolitical context and powers on Earth as well as ways of seeing the universe. It received a special mention (alongside two other exhibitions, by Twenty Nine Studio and Sammy Baloji and Wolff Architects respectively).
At the Arsenale, “Dangerous Liaisons” focuses on works that blur the boundaries between architecture and other disciplines. These extend from the room filled with models from Flores & Pratts and Neri and Huexplorations of liminality (some of the most conventional rooms of the biennial, where construction projects occupy a central place), to Gbolade Design Studiois a deep dive into the game of dominoes and its role in South London’s Windrush generation communities.
Meanwhile, “Curator’s Special Projects” cover topics such as sustainability, gender and memory, as well as emerging practitioners. “Guests from the Future” depicts young practitioners bursting onto the scene with strong theses and captivating visuals. The work is rich and extremely varied, from London’s Black Females in Architecture to the fascinating tapestries of architecture student Arinjoy Sen (created in collaboration with Indian artisans), Juergen Strohmayer and Glenn DeRoché. Ghana Surf Collective building and sculptures of the artist Ibiye camp. This once again underlines Lokko’s desire to signal new points of view and provide a platform to those who often do not have one at the biennial.
Even though the opening celebrations are now behind us, there is still much to come, maintaining the pace and interest around the themes of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023. Launched for the first time, the Biennale College Architettura will run from June 25 to July 22, 2023, and throughout its duration, 15 renowned international tutors – such as Marina Otero, Nana Biamah-Ofosu, Sarah de Villiers and Manijeh Verghese – will work with 50 students, early career practitioners and academics from around the world during a four-week teaching program.
Meanwhile, a new Venice Architecture Biennale feature called “Carnival”, including lectures, discussions, films and performances, will accompany the exhibitions, seen by the curatorial team as crucial to attracting audiences and strengthen the dialogue between architecture and the world.
Lokko described the biennial as “an agent of change”, saying that in architecture the dominant voice has always been from one point of view and that the “history” of architecture is therefore incomplete. Not wrong, but incomplete. It is in this context particularly that exhibitions are important.
Through the discovery of a new perspective, the challenge of existing systems and the acceptance of multiple points of view, “The Laboratory of the Future” is here to herald a much-needed change in the field of architecture. It’s a show that will undoubtedly be remembered for its talent and energy, as well as its thought-provoking content, a biennial full of optimism and, hopefully, evolution.