The Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia has dedicated the theme of the 10th International Architecture Exhibition to Cities, global urbanization, and to the architecture that can determine the cities’ governance and transformations, the deep changes and the development of a harmonious social fabric. For the first time Venice’s Exhibition focuses its attention on the tangible concerns arising in contemporary society, investigating models of interaction between cities, architecture and inhabitants – just when more than half of the world’s populace lives in cities, when only a century ago only 10% of the planet’s inhabitants dwelled in urban areas. What is more, according to the United Nations, by 2050 this number could increase up to 75%, with millions living in megalopolises and in highly urbanized areas. At the end of the Exhibition, the Biennale will publish an Agenda for XXI Century Cities, a tool dedicated to those who establish or take part in the management of cities and the complex systems that regulate rhythms and advancements in urban areas.
This year the Exhibition brings together a complex combination consisting of Exhibitions (Cities, architecture and society curated by Richard Burdett, and Sensi Contemporanei , split into 2 side-projects: Cities of Stone, curated by Claudio d’Amato and City-Port, curated by Rinio Bruttomesso, the latter on exhibit in Palermo from the middle of October), an exhibition in the first Italian Pavilion of the Biennale’s recent history (curated by Franco Purini), workshops, meetings, conferences and educational activities (with famous international architects and eminent experts, who will explore the various themes threaded throughout the Exhibition). The closing ceremony will be held on 8th November with the Golden Lion Awards and the presentation of the Agenda for XXI Century Cities.
Cities, architecture and society, the exhibition curated by Richard Burdett, focuses on the key factors currently faced by large-scale metropolitan: migration, but also the uncertainties tied to development, from the evolution of mobility to the research of a sustainable growth, will be addressed at the exhibition.
The 300 metres of the Corderie dell'Arsenale host 16 great cities from four continents: Shanghai, Mumbai and Tokyo in Asia; Caracas, Mexico City, Bogotá, São Paulo, Los Angeles and New York in America; Johannesburg, Cairo and Istanbul in Africa and the Mediterranean area; European cities such as London, Barcelona, Berlin and Milan-Turin. Renzo Piano’s project for the requalification of Genoa’s harbour is presented as a significant model in the Italian urbanistic scenario. The exhibition displays architectural and urban projects that influence the lifestyle, work and metropolitan environment of these conurbations, in addition to how these cities have changed from a social, economic and cultural standpoint. The event, designed by Aldo Cibic and Luigi Marchetti - Cibic&Partners, with the art direction and graphic project by Fragile, is a journey through the urban and civic realities. Satellite images, aerial photographs and morphological maps illustrate the heterogeneity and the complexity of man’s imprint.
The Padiglione Italia at the Giardini hosts some innovative projects for the cities of the future, fruit of the research of 13 international institutes - Berlage Institute, ETH Studio Basel - Contemporary City Institute, SENSEable City Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Schrumpfende Städte - Shrinking Cities, The Architecture Foundation and MoMA, The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA/AMO), The Royal College of Art from London, The University of Texas at Austin, Universidad Iberoamericana, Istituto Universitario Architettura Venezia (IUAV), Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI). Both contemporary and historical images and documents regarding urban planning are displayed by specialised editorial sectors such as C - Photo Magazine and domus.
