GENS Public Programme

September 27
Adaptation strategies for a Climate Change that cannot wait: engineering for territories and Cultural heritage - day two
Corderie dell’Arsenale, Speakers’ Corner *
3 pm - 5 pm
Speakers: Arianna Traviglia (Centre for Cultural Heritage Technology CCHT, Coordinator), Alessandra Bonazza (Researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate CNR-ISAC, Bologna), Christian Hanus (Scientific Director of the Research Lab Sustainable Cultural Heritage, Full Professor Danube University Krems), Liborio Stellino (Permanent Representative of Italy to UNESCO and BIE), Carlo Ratti (Curator of the 19thExhibition), Marco Lombardi (CEO of Proger).
A public meeting to explore the current and future impacts of climate change, starting with coastal cities and communities, which are facing increasing and sometimes disruptive phenomena: rising seas and oceans, erosion and subsidence that now directly affect hundreds of millions of people. The life and organisation of cities and metropolises; historical, archaeological and monumental cultural heritage and urban landscapes; infrastructure and architecture: for many communities, these are already having to contend with the dangers of flooding, extreme heat and the prospect of further threats. The meeting aims to provide the most up-to-date and qualified scientific information on these issues and to examine advanced experiences and proposals for urban, architectural, ecological, technological and monitoring programming, planning and design to contribute to sustainable and regenerative urban and territorial adaptation strategies.
Second session: specifically dedicated to threats - and design, technical, monitoring and implementation responses - affecting cultural heritage; archaeological sites, monuments and historic centres affected by extreme heat and drought, as well as rising water levels and flooding.

In collaboration with Soft Power Club.

September 26
Adaptation strategies for a Climate Change that cannot wait: engineering for territories and Cultural heritage - day one
Corderie dell’Arsenale, Speakers’ Corner *
3 pm - 5.30 pm
Speakers: Pietrangelo Buttafuoco (President of La Biennale di Venezia), Marco Lombardi (CEO of Proger), Erasmo D'Angelis (President of the Earth Water Agenda Foundation), Giulio Boccaletti (Scientific Director of CMCC – video message), Federica Brancaccio (President of ANCE), Paola Darò (Proger MENS Consortium – Sacertis), Alberto Tripi (President of Almaviva and Member of Soft Power Club – video message); Chicco Testa (Vice President of Proger).
A public meeting to explore the current and future impacts of climate change, starting with coastal cities and communities, which are facing increasing and sometimes disruptive phenomena: rising seas and oceans, erosion and subsidence that now directly affect hundreds of millions of people. The life and organisation of cities and metropolises; historical, archaeological and monumental cultural heritage and urban landscapes; infrastructure and architecture: for many communities, these are already having to contend with the dangers of flooding, extreme heat and the prospect of further threats. The meeting aims to provide the most up-to-date and qualified scientific information on these issues and to examine advanced experiences and proposals for urban, architectural, ecological, technological and monitoring programming, planning and design to contribute to sustainable and regenerative urban and territorial adaptation strategies.
First session - focusing on the theme of Adaptation: from reporting extreme cases to innovative proposals for turning them into a strategy for defence and resilience, architectural, urban, and territorial development, and the promotion of new industrial sectors, professionalism, and employment.

In collaboration with Soft Power Club.

June 17
Domicidio
Corderie dell’Arsenale, Speakers’ Corner *
5 pm - 6 pm
Speakers: Pietrangelo Buttafuoco (President of La Biennale di Venezia), Carlo Ratti (Curator of the 19thExhibition), Luciano Violante (President of the Associazione Futuri Probabili).
The event focuses on the concept of "domicide", a term coined by Balakrishnan Rajagopal—MIT professor and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to housing—to describe the systematic targeting of homes and civilian infrastructure, a pattern now recurring across the globe, from Myanmar to Gaza to Ukraine. This is not merely the destruction of one or more buildings, an all-too-common feature of warfare throughout history. Rather, it is the deliberate, methodical eradication of all dwellings, schools, universities, and hospitals, with the aim of stripping a people of both their identity and their means of survival. Domicide is emblematic of modern warfare, and it is frequently accompanied by genocide and the indiscriminate killing of civilians. (Luciano Violante, Corriere della Sera, Siamo ormai nell’epoca del «domicidio», 18thJanuary, 2025).

June 7
Climate Tech Startups
Corderie dell’Arsenale, Speakers’ Corner *
3 pm - 6 pm
Speakers: Carlo Ratti (Curator of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition), Davide Dotti (Business Innovation Director at Edison SpA), Simona Maschi (CEO of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design), Stefano Micelli (Professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Carlo Bagnoli (Professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Daniele Modesto (CEO of Future Farming Initiative), Chiara D’Adamo (Co-founder & COO at Carpe Carbon), Giusy Cannone (General Partner at Primo Climate), Stefano Bonetti (Founder and President of RARA Foundation), Niccolò Calandri (CEO of 3BEE), Luigi Bubacco (Professor at Padua University), Massimo Portincaso (Founder & CEO at Arsenale Bioyards). 
Moderated by Eleonora Chioda and Maria Claudia Pignata.
This event explores how innovative startups are addressing the climate crisis through cutting-edge technologies, such as carbon capture, energy storage, methane emissions reduction, and smart buildings. It also examines the transformative potential of Deep Tech in reshaping industries and driving the “fourth wave” of innovation, with a focused discussion on Future Farming and Nature Co-design.

Co-organised with Venice Climate Week, which runs from June 3 to 8, aligning with two key UN dates: World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8). This international forum aims to spark transformative dialogue and strategic collaboration on climate action, bringing together pioneers, institutions, and communities to shape the ecological transition through new narratives, actionable goals, and systemic innovation.

May 28
European Cities Conversation on Climate-Responsive Urbanism and Architecture
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)
10 am - 2 pm
Speakers include: Massimiliano De Martin (Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Venice), Stéphane Lecler (Deputy Director General, Paris), Myriam Peón González (Director General of the Office of Madrid Master Plan), Giancarlo Tancredi (Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration, Milan), Camilla Bjerre (Executive Director of the Technical and Environmental Administration, Copenhagen), Maciej Fijałkowski (Secretary, Warsaw), Paolo Mazzoleni (Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Torino), Torleif Falk (City Architect, Stockholm), Filipa Roseta (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Local Development, and Municipal Works of Lisbon), Maro Evangelidou (Deputy Mayor of Urban Regeneration and Resilience of Athens), Jules Pipe (Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service of London), Maurizio Carta (Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration of Palermo), Maurizio Veloccia (Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning of Rome), Raffaele Laudani (Deputy Mayor of Urban Planning of Bologna), Andrea Vecci (Head of Impact, Sustainability and Communication, Redo), Lean Doody (European Director for Cities, Planning & Design, Arup), Paola Momoli (Head of the communication in the task force for affordable housing, EU Commission, Directorate-General for Energy), Fabrizio Tucci (Director of Environmental and Quality Design Department, Agenzia del Demanio), Jesse Shapins (Co-Head Urban Regeneration Investments, Urban Partners), Estelle Sabatier (Director of Audiences, Communications, Events and Digital Media, Pavillon de l’Arsenal).
Moderated by Hélène Chartier (Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40), Costanza de Stefani (Senior Manager for Reinventing Cities and Competition Lead, C40), Cécile Faraud (Head of Clean Construction, C40), Júlia López (European Regional Director, C40).

Co-organised with C40, a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive.
This event will bring together Deputy Mayors and city leaders from key European cities to discuss the way we build, plan and design cities to respond to climate change and modern challenges. Sessions will focus on urban planning, urban regeneration, housing and financing, from policies to implementation, showcasing the collaboration between city leaders, the private sector, and communities to foster clean construction and create green and thriving cities and neighbourhoods. Special attention will be given to the housing crisis, with an emphasis on creating inclusive, environmentally sustainable housing for all.

May 24
The Intelligence of Cities
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)
10 am - 7 pm
Speakers include: Jean-Sébastien LeBreton (Exhibition Manager, Pavillon de l'Arsenal), Philippe Chiambaretta (Architect and Urban Planner, founder of PCA-STREAM), Lily Munson (Secretary-General, Villes Vivantes), Stéphanie Lemoine (Journalist, and contributor to Ecofaubourgs), Rosina Vinyes (Architect and Urban Planner, University of Barcelona), Adrien Larcade (Project Director, Paris La Défense), Carine Saloff Costes (Engineer and Director of SAEMES), Nicolas Dorval Bory (Architect), Bas Smets (Landscape Architect), Quentin Barenne (Director and founder, Wintics), Elsa Lebrun & Charly Dufour (Founders, Poumtchak Studio), Jean Guiony (President of the Institute of Land Transition, and Founder of Aqua Alta), Gabrielle Fack (Economist), Laurent Eisenman (Director of New Uses and Rural Services Program, SNCF Tech4Mobility), Yaëlle Amsellem Mainguy (Sociologist and Research Associate at CERLIS), Alexandre Born (Co-founder and General Director, Bellevilles), Vidal Benchimol (Ecofaubourg).
This seminar, divided into morning and afternoon sessions, investigates shifting urban paradigms, particularly in smaller cities, where transformation increasingly depends on human intelligence rather than technology alone. Structured around five expert-led roundtables, the event addresses urgent topics such as underground space management, AI surveillance, greening cities, and rural regeneration. Running alongside these discussions are two live hackathons, where students in architecture, urban planning, and design will develop and present innovative solutions, culminating in project presentations at the seminar’s conclusion.

Co-organised with Jean-Louis Missika (Media Sociologist, editor of La Grande Conversation, former Deputy Mayor of Paris for Urban Planning, Architecture, Innovation, and Greater Paris).

May 13
Gone with the (Hot) Wind? Cities and Artistic Heritage Facing the Climate Crisis
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)
10 am - 1.30 pm
Speakers include: Luigi Brugnaro (Mayor of Venice), Carlo Ratti (Curator of the Biennale Architettura 2025), Hélène Chartier (Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40), Ferruccio Resta (President of Fondazione Politecnico di Milano), Antonio Aurigemma (President of the Regional Council of Lazio), Pierpaolo Campostrini (General Manager, CORILA), Carlo Carraro (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Ugo Ferrero (Head of Communications and Institutional Relations, AICS), Laura Fregolent (IUAV University of Venice), Matteo Lepore (ANCI Coordinator of Metropolitan Cities), Simone Ombuen (ASviS GDL 11 Coordinator), Elio Schiavo (Chief Enterprise and Innovative Solutions Officer, TIM), Enrico Giovannini (Scientific Director of ASviS).
This conference explores the need to protect cities and human settlements from the escalating effects of the climate crisis. Rising sea levels, extreme weather, fires, and high temperatures threaten not only people but also monuments, historic buildings, and urban spaces. Venice, as a symbol of both the fragility of historic cities and cultural heritage, highlights the urgency of exploring innovative solutions that integrate sustainable architecture with adaptation policies to safeguard our cities.

Co-organised with ASviS, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, established in 2016, which aims to raise awareness of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and mobilise stakeholders to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

May 10
Collective Baukultur
Teatro Piccolo Arsenale (Campo de la Tana, 2161, Venice)
5 pm - 7 pm
Speakers include: Oliver Martin (Chair of the Davos Baukultur Alliance), Vivian Brady-Phillips (Head of Strategic Initiatives, Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum), H.E. Zaliha Mustafa (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Federal Territories), Priti Parikh (Director of the School of Sustainable Construction & Professor of Infrastructure Engineering and International Development, UCL), Claudia Acuña Fernandez (Managing Director of Impact, New Story), Carlo Ratti (Curator, Biennale Architettura 2025). Moderated by: Antonio Gómez-Palacio (Chair of DIALOG). This event launches the Conferences of the GENS Public Programme, exploring how high-quality Baukultur (building-culture) shapes the built environment through collective intelligence and cross-sector collaboration. It highlights the shared responsibility of governments, businesses, and communities in fostering cultural, social, and economic well-being. Aligned with the Biennale Architettura 2025’s theme Intelligens, the discussion examines how collective thinking and innovative practices create meaningful, high-quality spaces that enhance everyday life across diverse contexts.

Co-organised with the Davos Baukultur Alliance, a global initiative uniting over 80 governments, businesses, and civil society organisations to advance collective action in improving the quality of living environments through cultural, social, and environmental solutions.

Saturday, November 1
2:30 pm - 5 pm
Zero Room: New University for CO2=0 Architecture
For this Workshop the IUAV University of Venice, the New York Institute of Technology, Arup Engineering, Domus magazine, scientists, and architects meet to discuss how zero-impact architecture can be taught in universities. More than other fields of knowledge, carbon-neutral architecture requires a close link between the three types of intelligence: natural, artificial, collective.
Speakers: Raffaella Laezza (Scientific and Educational Director, Master Architecture CO2=0,University Iuav of Venice), Benno Albrecht (Rector, IUAV University of Venice), Maria Perbellini (Dean and Full Professor School of Architecture and Design New York Institute of Technology), Walter Mariotti (Domus Editorial Director), Maurizio Teora (Arup University Director, Professor Master Architecture CO2=0, University Iuav of Venice), Giovanni Santamaria (Associate Dean for Academic Operations, Professor School of Architecture and Design New York Institute of Technology), Laura Depero (Scientist, Professor at Faculty of Engineering of the University of Brescia), Francesca Tatarella (Professor  Master Architecture CO2=0, University Iuav of Venice), Piercarlo Romagnoni (Director of the Culture of Project Department  at University Iuav of Venice), Michele Brunello (Founder DONTSTOP Architecture, Professor  Master Architecture CO2=0,University Iuav of Venice).

Sunday, November 2
3 pm - 5 pm 
Soil, Communal Space
The workshop wants to bring awareness on the vital role of soil both as the foundation of communal built environment and as living source enriching food production. The multidisciplinary team will discuss this topic, presenting theoretical and practical findings from a series of events held on Sant’Erasmo Island, including collaborative spatial installations and deliberative discussions.
Speakers: Mattia Baldini (PhD in Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome), Savino Cimarosto (Founder of I&S Farm Il Biologico di Sant’Erasmo), Valentino Marini Govigli (Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna), Christoph Hesse (Founder of Christoph Hesse Architects, Berlin/Korbach), Laura Mucciolo (Adjunct Lecturer, University of Ferrara), Caterina Padoa Schioppa (Associate Professor, Department of Architetture and Desing, Sapienza University of Rome), Lucila Castañeda Aller (PhD in Architecture, Valladolid University).
Moderated by: Michela Quadrelli (Christoph Hesse Architects, Berlin/Korbach).

Thursday, November 13
12 noon - 1 pm
As Below, So Above
Based on his performative project As Below, So Above, this lecture by artist Bill Balaskas draws a parallel between the invisibility of the canals-‘rivers’ (“rii”) of Venice which were transformed over the city’s history into streets with water still flowing underneath them (“Rii Terà con volti”), and the invisibility of atmospheric-‘flying’ rivers, whose preservation is essential for the hydrological cycle and for tackling climate change.
Speakers: Bill Balaskas (artist and instigator of the Flying Rivers Campaign and International Museums Consortium).

Monday, November 17
3 pm - 5 pm
From the archives to the XXI century. On the visionary nature of urban thinking in the work of Savioli, Michelucci and Ricci 
Between the 1940s and 1960s, Giovanni Michelucci, Leonardo Savioli, and Leonardo Ricci envisioned unrealized urban futures. By showcasing a selection of archival drawings, this workshop will explore their strategies and discuss their legacy as a critical resource for addressing today's environmental challenges that require a radical rethinking of architectural design systems.
Speakers: Paola d’Orsi (Archivio di Stato di Firenze), Chiara Cappuccini (Archivio di Stato di Firenze), Ilaria Cattabriga (Università degli studi di Bologna), Simone Barbi (Università degli studi di Firenze), Lorenzo Mingardi (Università degli studi di Firenze), Andrea Aleardi (Fondazione Giovanni Michelucci), Nadia Musumeci (Fondazione Giovanni Michelucci), Manuel Orazi (USI-Mendrisio), Gabriele Mastrigli (Università di Camerino).

Sunday, November 23
3 pm - 5 pm
MIRALLES. An architect in dialogue with time
The event is a screening of excerpts of the film Miralles (2024) and a dialogue on the creative process of architect Enric Miralles (1955-2000). The meeting focuses on the concept of time, central to the Spanish architect's artistic production and in the circular motion of the film built for variations, which begins and ends in the city of Venice.
Speakers, among others: Maria Mauti (film director), Benedetta Tagliabue (architect, EMBT Studio).

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Thursday, 9 October
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Who’s Stupid Now: Architecture, Intelligence and Transdisciplinarity 
Stupidity is not the opposite of intelligence; it is the inability to formulate a problem. This event will explore architectural technicities that overcome poorly defined problems and reinvigorate a transdisciplinary critical thinking: how architectural intelligence emerges, who institutes it, and how is it archived and disseminated. 
Speakers: Alberto Cervesato (University of Udine), Ayse Sentürer (Middle East Technical University), Bengisu Derebaşı (Istanbul Technical University), Eda Yeyman (Middle East Technical University), Giovanni La Varra (University of Udine), Jean Rojanavilaivudh (TU Delft), Justus Schäfer (Independent Scholar), Koen de Nie (TU Delft), Lena Galanopoulou (National Technical University of Athens), Mar Muñoz Aparici (TU Delft), Maurice Harteveld (TU Delft), Mees van Rhijn (TU Delft), Miguel Borst (TU Delft), Qiyu Chen (TU Delft), Sinan Cem Kızıl (Istanbul Technical University), Tim Gough (Independent Scholar), Tommaso Antiga (University of Udine).
Moderated by: Stavros Kousoulas (TU Delft), Andrej Radman (TU Delft).

Friday, October 10
11 am - 1:30 pm: Session 1
1:30 pm - 1:45 pm: Performative intermission by Steve Piccolo (sound and video artist)
2:30 pm - 5 pm: Session 2
La casa che amo. The virtual and imaginal declinations of the domestic universe
This panel discussion explores the house understood not as a container of functions but as a container of emotions, not the disposable house but the “Bloomsbury house”. The set of artistic disciplines finds common ground in the hypotheses of re-founding the domestic space, understood as a place of rediscovered sacredness. A new synthesis of the arts emerges, reopening the old question of the total work of art.
Speakers: Maurizio Barberis (architect and founder HoperAperta), Renato Troncon (Professor of Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language Design Research Lab, University of Trento), Carmelo Zappulla (architect and founder External Reference, Barcelona), Duccio Grassi (Duccio Grassi Architects, Milano), Cristina Fiorenza (artist and designer, Vienna), Christine Enrile (scientific head of the Contemporary Culture Center, Andora), Francesco Zurlo (dean of the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano), Armando Bruno (architect CEO Studio Marco Piva, Milan), Alfonso Femia (architect Founder Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia AF517, Genoa-Milan-Paris), Aldo Parisotto (architect founder Parisotto + Formenton Studio Milan-Padua), Patrizia Catalano (journalist and founder HoperAperta), and others.

Sunday, October 26
11 am - 2 pm
Why Architects Should Be Involved In Built Environment Education 
The panel explores why architects should engage in Built Environment Education (BEE) through dynamic Pecha Kucha presentations. Speakers share experiences working with children and young people, showing how early engagement fosters public understanding of architecture and empowers future citizens. For architects, BEE offers renewed purpose, fresh perspectives, and a return to core values through curiosity, play, and social connection.
Speakers: Mina Sava (co director  A&C UIA WP - Romania), Barbara Feller (A&C UIA WP - Austria), Magdalina Rajeva (A&C UIA WP - Bulgaria), Samia Galouzi (A&C UIA WP - Tunisia), and others.

Friday, 31 October
11 am - 1 pm
Embodied Restoration Lab: Collective reasoning (session 1, training)
3 pm - 5 pm
Embodied Restoration Lab: Collective reasoning (session 2, panel)
The Embodied Restoration Lab is a collective ecosystem of algorithmic models based on a non-extractive, decolonial, and distributed community of contributors, including architects, designers, and data scientists. In the Workshops at Speakers’ Corner, the Lab aims to share its work, explore possibilities, and engage with its algorithmic ecosystem collaboratively.

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Monday, 1 September 
4 pm - 6 pm
City as Stage – How Culture & Architecture Shape Urban Identity
At the intersection of architecture, cinema, and memory, we find the emotional infrastructure of place. This conversation explores how buildings and cities perform—not just as passive backdrops, but as protagonists. How does narrative shape architecture? How do events like the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia and the Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia influence the way we see, feel, and remember a place? How do the built and imagined worlds mirror and inspire each other?
Speakers: Prathima Manohar (Chair, The Urban Vision & Co-Founder, GoodPass), Sam Lubell (Architecture Journalist), Mario Cucinella (Architect, MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects), Naresh V. Narasimhan (Principal Architect, Venkataramanan Associates), Luisa Bravo (Public Space Scholar, City Space Architecture).

Tuesday, September 2
4 pm - 6 pm
Shape Rural Futures: Reclaiming Institutional Capacity
Many institutions today are structurally misaligned with rapidly evolving environmental, demographic, and technological conditions. This lecture explores how designers can help shape new institutional forms to support territorial regeneration. It considers how aligning values, drive, and expertise can enable long-duration projects that outlast individual contributions and respond more effectively to the complexities of systemic transformation.
Speakers: Ginevra D’Agostino (President, Liminal), Nicolás Delgado Alcega (Vice-President, Liminal)

Friday, September 5
3 pm - 5 pm
Vision of The Future
An international group panel convened by X–UTOPIA explores utopias through design, anthropology, technology, and education. Featuring architects, artists, and researchers, the discussion spans rural–urban futures, language, collectives, biodesign, AI, and speculative education. Drawing on global case studies and past inspirations, the event weaves together diverse disciplines to imagine new models for living, learning, and shaping the future.
Speakers: Jozef Olsavsky (Architect, FUTURESEARCH STUDIO and X–UTOPIA), Dorota Olsavska (Anthropologist, FUTURESEARCH STUDIO and X–UTOPIA), Michal Hladky (Architect, Creative Industry Kosice CIKE and EIT Culture and Creativity), Winy Maas (Architect, MVRDV and ARCHIP), Mitch Joachim (Architect, Terreform ONE and NYU)

Saturday, September 6
1:30 pm - 5 pm
Will the AI-powered robots of the future be self-aware?
In the near future AI-powered humanoid robots may co-exist with us. What will these robots be like? Will they have some form of awareness of their own bodies and thinking? Will they have a personality, a narrative self, with moral and emotional facets? Can such robots ever be trusted, or will they inevitably start scheming against us?
Speakers: Stanislas De Haene (Collège de France); Takashi Ikegami (University of Tokyo); Luc Steels (University of Brussels); Thomas Metzinger (University of Mainz); Stefano Nolfi (CNR, Rome); Ricardo Manzotti (IULM Milan); Vittorio Loreto (La Sapienza Rome & Sony Computer Science Laboratories Rome). 
Moderated by: Oscar Villaroya (Autonomous University Barcelona and IMIM).

Saturday, September 13
3 pm - 6 pm
Lithic Landscapes: Performative Futures and Circular Methodologies
The Exhibition project Lithic Chords explores stone as a dynamic, performative material through three interwoven threads: its presence in landscapes and memory, its structural potential through post-tensioning, and its acoustic resonance in sound performance. Blending geology, engineering, and art, the project reveals stone as active and expressive: shaping environments, supporting innovation, and echoing across time to deepen our understanding of architecture and matter.
Speakers: Cristina Morbi (Director Maetherea and Lecturer at The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL), Oliver Wilton (Director of Technology, The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL), Andrea Granitzio (Musical Director Fondazione Sciola and Lecturer Politecnico di Milano), Francesco Banchini (Structural Engineer SBP), Pierre Bidaud  (Creative Director The Stonemasonry Company), Domenico Cereser (CEO Cereser Verona).
Moderators: Cristina Morbi (Director Maetherea and Lecturer at The Bartlett School of Architecture) Oliver Wilton (Director of Technology, The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL).

Tuesday, September 16 
12 noon - 2 pm
Arquitecture at the edge of Architecture. Suburbs: The Unexpected Urban Frontier, from Otherness to Innovation
The suburbs, often treated as the “otherness” in relation to the city, are laboratories where the energy of the city is still present and where the "Intelligens" can escape the control of centralised planning and, thanks to this freedom, experiment with models, strategies and dynamics for inhabiting the city of the future.
Speakers: Franco Bunčuga (architect and author), Alessandro Zorzetto (Architetture Precarie; PhD candidate in Architecture, University of Seville), Hannah Baghuis (PhD candidate, Politecnico di Milano; Research scholar - SSA; City College of New York), Gianluca Stasi (Studio Ctrl+Z; PhD in Architecture, University of Seville).
Moderated by: Paolo Bon (Studio Architettura Paolo Bon).

Thursday, September 18
3 pm - 5 pm
Liquid Architectures: Building Collective Knowledge Alongside Water Communities in Latin America
How are water communities protecting native species and ecosystems while improving common living conditions in Latin America? Learn about collaborative design strategies and pedagogies of care for the mangrove ecosystem at work in the project CUNA - Porous School for Landscape Construction, located in Barranquilla, Colombia, in connection with similar art-architecture-education experiences in the Global South.
Speakers: Amina Chouairi (landscape architect / Università Iuav di Venezia); Miguel Braceli (co-founder of LA ESCUELA___); La Orilla architecture studio (co-designers of the CUNA school project); Joachim Gerstmeier (Head of Arts & Culture at Foundation Siemens Stiftung—co-founding institution of LA ESCUELA___).

Wednesday, September 24 
2 pm - 5 pm
Intelligens in Action: Climate, Community and the Collective Classroom
The conference and roundtable explore the role of educating communities in tackling climate and social challenges. The event stems from the SEMI di SAD project against educational poverty and involves educational and institutional actors. Through dialogue and co-design, it promotes civic participation. The Exhibition project Urban Heat Chronicles will be the case study to reflect on education, design, and civic action as tools for transformation. 
Speakers: Anna Doneda (General Coordinator, Project for People ODV), Emma Greer (Architect, Urban Planner at C40 Cities), Elisabetta Bianchessi (Architect, Landscape Architect, Community Designer at T12 Lab), Maria Teresa Bellucci (Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policies), Gaia Romani (Councillor for Decentralization, Districts and Civic Participation, City of Milan), Antonella Caleffi and Francesco Muraro (School Principals, IC Perasso and IC Cappelli, Milan), Vincenzo Curatola (President of ForumSAD and ARCE Representative), Luca Poncellini (Director, Department of Design and Applied Arts, NABA Milan), Nina Bassoli (Curator for Architecture and Urban Regeneration, Triennale Milano), Federica Patti (Architect, PhD in History of Architecture and Urban Planning, Technology Teacher), Irene Guida (Architect, PhD in Urban Planning, Applied Mathematics Teacher), Sara Banti (Chief Editor of Abitare).
Interactive breaks by Alberto Wolfango Amedeo D’Asaro e Giuseppe Maria Paolillo (Quasi Quasi Association).

Tuesday, September 30
11 am - 1:30 pm Session 1
2:30 pm - 5 pm Session 2
Inhabiting hostly spaces 
Who are our favourite neighbours, and how do they make us feel better? Inspired by the values of the 2.73 project, this workshop explores hospitality and co-habitation through simple paper models. Participants work in small groups to imagine a building prototype, balancing co-living areas, private spaces, and hosting zones—reimagining the citizen as a prosumer of shared living environments.
Speakers: Luca Barello (Atelier Mobile aps), Giordana Ferri (Fondazione Housing Sociale), Alvise Giacomazzi (B_G Studio), Sabina Lenoci (IUAV University of Venice).

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Thursday, 24 July
12 noon - 2 pm
Icelandic Nordscape Laboratory - day two
The two-day program combines lectures and practical-reflective exercises. The second day focuses on key Icelandic territorial challenges—inviting participants to collaboratively develop ideas, strategies, and schematic responses, which are then collectively mapped to visualize shared insights.
Speakers: Helena Guttormsdóttir (Facoltà di Architettura del Paesaggio, Facoltà di Design e Urbanistica, Università Agricola d’Islanda), Ivan Juarez (Facoltà di Architettura del Paesaggio, Facoltà di Design e Urbanistica, Università Agricola d’Islanda), Daniele Stefano (Facoltà di Architettura del Paesaggio, Facoltà di Design e Urbanistica, Università Agricola d’Islanda)

Wednesday, 23 July
3 pm - 5 pm
Icelandic Nordscape Laboratory - day one
The two-day program combines lectures and practical-reflective exercises. The first day introduces Icelandic landscapes through their physical, environmental, and cultural dimensions, supported by case studies from the laboratory's research.
Speakers: Helena Guttormsdóttir (Facoltà di Architettura del Paesaggio, Facoltà di Design e Urbanistica, Università Agricola d’Islanda), Ivan Juarez (Facoltà di Architettura del Paesaggio, Facoltà di Design e Urbanistica, Università Agricola d’Islanda), Daniele Stefano (Facoltà di Architettura del Paesaggio, Facoltà di Design e Urbanistica, Università Agricola d’Islanda)

Saturday, 20 July
3.30 pm - 5 pm
Constructing la Biennale. A peek behind the narrative
Biennales are crucial to architectural discourse, yet the ways in which ideas evolve within their complex ecologies are often overlooked and excluded from the dominant narratives. The event “Constructing la Biennale: a peek behind the narrative” will critically reflect on the position expressed by the installation “Constructing la Biennale” – exhibited at the Giardini -  in revealing the “behind the scenes” of the Exhibition.
Speakers: Albert-László Barabási (BarabasiLab, Northeastern University), Michele Bonino (Department of Architecture and Design - DAD, Politecnico di Torino), Edoardo Bruno (Department of Architecture and Design - DAD, Politecnico di Torino), Marco Buongiorno Nardelli (University of North Texas), Guido Caldarelli (Università Cà Foscari), Riccardo Covino (Department of Architecture and Design - DAD, Politecnico di Torino), Christopher Hawthorne (Yale Architecture)

Tuesday, 15 July
2 pm - 6 pm
PSYCHIC CITIES
The cities of the future, considered as psychic entities (S. Freud, 1929), will be at the heart of the project proposals developed during the “Two-Year Design Programme for Sustainability” at the Rome Academy of Fine Arts, in dialogue with UN SDSN and some of the most prestigious American departments specialising in urban planning and sustainable community development.
Speakers: Jeffrey D. Sachs (Presidente UN SDSN, Professore di Economia, Columbia University, NYC), Cecilia Casorati (Direttrice Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma), Umberto Croppi (Presidente AbaRoma), Miriam Mirolla (Responsabile Relazioni Esterne e Referente SDSN per AbaRoma), Ketty Di Tardo (Responsabile Corso di Design e Biennio di Design per la Sostenibilità, AbaRoma), Carmelo Baglivo (Professore di Tecniche e tecnologie del disegno per il Design, AbaRoma), Cristina Chiappini (Professore di Graphic Design, AbaRoma), Luciano Fabale (Professore di Modellazione 3D, AbaRoma), Anselm Jappe (Professore di Estetica, Abaroma), Ivan Shumkov (Professore di Architecture and Urban Design, Columbia University, NYC), Peter Wiederspahn (Professore di Architettura, School of Architecture, Northeastern University Boston), Emad Fikry Fouad (Architetto e co-curatore del Padiglione Egitto, 19. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura), Walter Hood (Professore di Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design, UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design), Simone Mazzetto (Professore di Interior Design, Academy of Art University San Francisco)
Moderators: Miriam Mirolla (Responsabile Relazioni Esterne e Referente SDSN per AbaRoma), Ketty Di Tardo (Responsabile Corso di Design e Biennio di Design per la Sostenibilità, AbaRoma)

Sunday, 13 July 
2.30 pm – 3.30 pm
Restaging Criticism: A Tree Cycles Through Europe - Towards a Landscape in Balance with Nature
Join land artist Bruno Doedens as he shares details from his current project Circle4Change, which sees him cycling with a live tree in tow through nine European countries. Circle4Change is an optimistic, innovative activist art project, with echoes of work by Aldo Rossi and Joseph Beuys and its own critical sensibility about urban development, that simultaneously inspires and challenges us all to take action toward a symbiotic relationship with all living things. 
Speaker: Bruno Doeden
Moderator: Christopher Hawthorne

4 pm – 5 pm
Restaging Criticism: Other People’s Buildings - Annabelle Selldorf on Donald Judd
Join Annabelle Selldorf, architect of acclaimed museum projects at the Frick Collection, the Neue Galerie, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, among others, for a critical discussion with Christopher Hawthorne on the compound of buildings developed by artist Donald Judd in Marfa, Texas, USA. How does the design of these structures relate to Judd’s art practice? What does it mean for artists to take up a building practice, and how do we decide if and when such projects qualify as architecture?
Speakers: Christopher Hawthorne, Annabelle Selldorf

Saturday, 12 July 
1 pm – 2 pm
Restaging Criticism: Boundary Effect - A Conversation with Leonidas Trampoukis
This conversation between Leonidas Trampoukis (Objects of Common Interest and LOT Office for Architecture) and Nicholas Arvanitis (Yale School of Architecture) will explore the evolving definition of architecture as its boundaries expand towards dissolution. In a moment when asking the right question is rapidly becoming more meaningful than offering the right answer, how will the cultural value of design adapt? 
Speakers: Leonidas Trampoukis, Nicholas Arvanitis (Yale School of Architecture), Christopher Hawthorne

3 pm – 4 pm
Restaging Criticism: Scroll, Click, Critique - Architecture Discourse in the Platform Age
As architecture enters the age of digital platforms, criticism and commentary now take many forms, from essays and editorials to podcasts, videos, and social media. What strategies allow architectural thought to thrive across these diverse platforms, and what might a sustainable, meaningful future for architectural discourse in media look like? Join Stewart Hicks and Christopher Hawthorne for a lively conversation.
Speakers: Stewart Hicks, Christopher Hawthorne
Moderator: Tomas Altobello (Yale School of Architecture)

Tuesday, 8 July
3.30 pm - 4.30 pm
Restaging Criticism: The Architecture of the Evolving Museum - A Conversation with Max Hollein
Join Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, for a conversation about architectural influence and the design of art museums. Hollein will discuss the work of his late father, the renowned architect Hans Hollein; his own experience overseeing the United States Pavilion at the International Architectural Exhibition in 2000; and his thoughts on museum architecture, with a focus on recent and planned updates to the Met by WHY Architecture and Frida Escobedo.
Speakers:Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French
Moderator: Christopher Hawthorne

Saturday, 5 July
12 noon - 1.30 pm
Adaptive Habitats and Meteorological Intelligence (session 1)
2.30 pm - 6 pm
Adaptive Habitats and Meteorological Intelligence (session 2)
​This Workshop explores adaptive architectural systems for collective living, focusing on self-sufficiency, responsiveness, and ecological intelligence. Through lectures and discussions, it examines how design can foster symbiotic relationships between humans and environments. The event gathers voices from academia and practice alongside students for a dynamic exchange of ideas.
Speakers: Emanuele Coccia (École des hautes études en sciences sociales - EHESS), Ersin Han Ersin (Marshmallow Laser Feast), Ingrid Paoletti (Politecnico di Milano), Theodore Spyropoulos (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Diego Ricalde (MMX / Universidad Iberoamericana), Mike Smith (Entre Nos Atelier Central / Universidad de Costa Rica), Gal Gnapp (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Rahulraj Choorakad(Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Sandip Kale (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Shreya Gupta (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Sriram Natarajan (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Susanna Shajan (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Tolga Kaya (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Yash Katare (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Yi Zhou (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Yuxuan Hu (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Angel Tenorio (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Anna Kondrashova (Architectural Association – Design Research Laboratory), Karim Hallak (SII Group)
Moderator: Angius Pierandrea (Architectural Association, Design Research Laboratory)

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June 28
4 pm - 6 pm
Dispositional Intelligence
Lecture followed by panel discussion.
Speakers: José Aragüez — Author; Design Critic at Yale University; Founding Principal of José Aragüez Architects; Pippo Ciorra — Senior Curator of MAXXI Architettura; Full Professor at Università degli Studi di Camerino; Director of PhD program at IUAV University; Maria Fedorchenko — Diploma Unit Master at the Architectural Association; Co-founder of Plakat Platform; Co-Director of Karta Architecture; Anna Font — Projective Cities Course Master and Head of Learning at the Architectural Association; Founding Principal at afo

June 27
2 pm - 4:30 pm
Creating NEBourhoods Together: Regenerative Transformation - The New European Bauhaus Approach
“Creating NEBourhoods Together” is one of the first six lighthouses of the New European Bauhaus (NEB). Reflecting the Biennale’s theme, the event highlights how natural, artificial, and collective intelligence are shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for European cities. Through distinct perspectives from Munich-Neuperlach, we explore how circularity, biodiversity, digital applications, placemaking and co-creation can drive urban transformation.
Speakers: Werner Lang – Vice President for Sustainable Transformation, Technical University Munich (TUM); Nicola Borgmann – Director, Architekturgalerie München; Curator, German Pavilion; Michaela Busenkell – NEBourhoods Coordination, City of Munich; Christine Jakoby – Studio Animal-Aided Design, Berlin; Charlotte Poppa – Action Area Management Neuperlach, City of Munich; Sylvia Pintarits – NEBourhoods Coordination, Urban Planning, City of Munich; Johannes Staudt – TU Munich / Urban Transformation Office (UTO); Carsten Schade – TU Munich / Urban Transformation Office (UTO); Christina Schepper-Bonnet – Co-Creation NEBourhoods, Project Manager Cross Innovation, City of Munich

June 22
1 pm - 4 pm
Climate Adaptation by Learning from the Global South
This session examines how the Global South’s lived experience offers essential strategies for climate adaptation. Through expert insights and a moderated discussion with Sebastian C. Koth (Technical University of Munich), context-driven approaches are higlighted through dialogue on how local innovation can shape a more resilient global future.
Speakers: Thomas Auer (Transsolar), Sebastian C. Koth (Technical University of Munich), Christine Lemaitre, Ashok Lall, Martin Despang, Stefan Behnisch, Daniel Barber, Hilmar von Lojewski

June 21
3 pm - 6 pm
Activate Local Value Chains and Knowledge
This session explores how local skills and resources can build resilient, future-ready value chains. With keynotes from international experts and a discussion led by Bruno Sauer, the conversation highlights innovative regional strategies and invites participants to contribute to a lively, solutions-focused exchange.
Speakers: Thomas Auer (Transsolar), Bruno Sauer (Green Building Council España), Christine Lemaitre, Martin Haas, Illya Azaroff, Vera Hartmann, Gaëtan Siew, Ruth Schagemann​

June 20
2 pm - 5 pm
Italian Architects and Collective Intelligence 
Italian architectural projects are now often similar to each other, thus lacking the ‘heroic impulses’ that, for better or worse, were hallmarks of authors from previous generations. Is the frequent similarity between recent projects a form of collective intelligence (also fueled by Erasmus and the ubiquitous diffusion of images via social media) or conformism? Does it mark the end of authorship?
Speakers: Guido Canali (Architect), Massimo Roj (Founder and Director, Progetto CMR), Guendalina Salimei (Curator of Padiglione Italia, Università di Roma La Sapienza), Alessandro Scandurra (Designer, Scuola Universitaria SUPSI di Lugano), Susanna Tradati (Partner of Nemesi studio)
Moderated by: Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi (Critic and President of Associazione Italiana di Architettura)

June 13
11.30 am - 2 pm
Collective Artificial
Beginning with great examples of human collective intelligence such as the building sites of Gothic cathedrals, and moving on to particular forms of collective intelligence such as that of ants, this panel discusson will discover relationships and relations between collective intelligence and AI and the ways in which they determine and sustain new systems of relationships and circulation of ideas.
Speakers: Mario Rasetti (Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics, Polytechnic University of Turin), Giuseppe Italiano (Professor of Computer Science, Director of Ai4Society – Luiss Guido Carli University), Antonello Marotta (Professor of Design, Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, University of Sassari), Donato A. Grasso (Professor of General Zoology, Ethoecology and Sociobiology, University of Parma), Maura Gancitano (Philosopher, Founder of Tlon), Elena Lovera (President of Formedil), Luigi Serio
Moderated by: Sebastiano Maffettone (Philosopher, Director of Ethos - Luiss Guido Carli University)

June 5
12 noon - 1 pm
Water as a Global Common Good: Building Coalitions between Art, Science, and Architecture
Prompted by the final report of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water and its forthcoming Flying Rivers cultural programme, this event brings together water experts, architects, and cultural practitioners to explore the cross-sectoral collaborations needed to transform our relationship with water – our planet’s most vital natural resource and a key ally in the fight against climate change.
Speakers: Anna Dupont (Water Global Affairs expert, Global Commission on the Economics of Water), Bill Balaskas (artistand instigator of the Flying Rivers cultural campaign and International Museums Consortium), Hesperia Iliadou de Subplajo-Suppiej (curator and museum consultant), Matheus Seco (Brazilian Pavilion - online), Eva Franch i Gilabert (Catalonia in Venice - online), Mireia Luzárraga (Catalonia in Venice - online)

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May 23
3.00 pm - 4.30 pm
Embedding Intelligens into the Design of Architectural Connections and Joints
This panel explores the Intelligens of architectural connections: natural wisdom, computational design collaboration, and human ingenuity. Our discussion features practitioners focused on the spatial qualities afforded by focusing on the joints or connections through design decisions, performance, adaptability, and resilience while minimizing material use. The discussion will include the Carbon Natural Project translating carbon's tetraheral structure into architectural systems.
Speakers: R. Spencer Steenblik (Moderator), Jonathan Nesci, Wyly Brown, Tyler McMartin, Virginia Melnyk, Alireza Alikaei, Jonathan Hill.

May 14
2.00 pm - 4.00 pm
Manifesto for the Rights of the Venice Lagoon
The Venice Lagoon represents a unique co-creation between human and non-human intelligens — an evolving, hybrid ecosystem shaped by millennia of interactions, adaptations, and tensions. This two-hour workshop opens up a conversation with architects, activists, policymakers, and the Biennale public, in which we explore how spatial disciplines can respond to more-than-human realities. If nature can hold rights, architects and urbanists cannot remain silent. Their voices — and their actions — are central to how we shape just, livable futures for both humans and non-humans.
Speakers: Venice Lagoon (Nature), Mitchell Joachim (Terreform ONE), Amalia Rossi (IDRA and Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti), Ren Yee (UNStudio), Francesca Tarocco (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, NICHE), Adelita Husni-Bey (TBA21), Elena Longhin (TU Delft, Urban Design), Alex Putzer (IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law), Katja Schechtner (MIT, Senseable City Lab & LCAU).

May 13
2.30 pm - 3:30 pm
Circular Reconstruction and Material Reuse Strategies for Ukraine
Along with Exhibition participants (Circularity on the Edge), this session brings together architects, urbanists, policymakers, and cultural practitioners from Ukraine and across Europe to explore how material reuse can be reimagined through collective intelligence. In the context of Ukraine’s post-war recovery, the panel focuses on the systems, partnerships, and forms of knowledge needed to enable circular practices in real-world reconstruction.
Speakers: Lian Blok (Architect, Dutch Board of Government Advisors, Advisor on nature-inclusive architecture and sustainable urban development), Kateryna Lopatiuk (Researcher and Designer, ReThink; Author and participant in the Circularity on the Edge installation), Piero Petrucco (President, FIEC and Vice-President, ANCE).
Moderated by Roman Puchko (Co-Founder & CEO, ReThink).

May 12
12 noon - 1 pm
Biourban Acupuncture Kharkiv
Since 2022, Kharkiv, Ukraine has been in a war zone. New knowledge around nature-based socio-biological solutions for regenerative urbanism and urban biological restoration in Kharkiv are being developed through local knowledge, and the interdisciplinary research, innovation, design, and implementation centre, Ruin Academy Kharviv. This discussion will investigate cross-over architectural interventions, urban acupuncture, biourbanism and Constructivist biology.
Speakers: Marco Casagrande (Biourbanist Professor, O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy,Kharkiv); Menno Cramer (Biourbanist, Neuro-Scientist, International Society of Biourbanism). 

2.00 pm - 3.30 pm
Soft Tactics: Tailored Assemblies
In The Subversive Stitch, historian Rozsika Parker examines how weaving, once relegated to ideas of female domesticity, became a celebrated fine art practice and a critical form of knowledge production. This hands-on session begins with a discussion about weaving and other "soft knowledges" and their applications to architecture as ultra-thin material practices, representations of cultural identities, and forms of collective authorship.
Speakers: Stephanie Rae Lloyd (Assistant Professor, Rhode Island School of Design), Sam Sheffer (Critic, Rhode Island School of Design), Emily Ezquerro (Critic, Rhode Island School of Design), Emma Sheffer (Filmmaker, Channel Films).

4.30 pm - 5.30 pm
My Grandfather’s House
An interdisciplinary approach connects personal and public archives, the built environment, urban anthropology, and feminist urbanism to understand the tensions surrounding Argentine democracy. A house, the story of a person, and the history of a country are all explored in conversation.
Speakers: Natalia Dopazo (Urban Planner, Asemblea Desobediente), Carolina Ipes (Associate Director, Urban Design & Masterplanning, Urban & Estate Regeneration, Community Engagement, PRP London).
 

May 11
12 noon - 1 pm
The Relevance of Land in an Era of Adaptation: a Conversation with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
This conversation brings together thought-leaders and practitioners to answer the question: What is the role of land in solving the economic, social, and environmental challenges of our age? Speakers explore the Exhibition themes of natural, artificial, and collective intelligence through the lenses of land and water, land and fiscal systems, and land and communities.
Speakers: John Farner (Executive Director, Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy), Solomon Greene (Executive Director, Land and Communities), Darla Munroe (Executive Director, Research and Cross-Cutting Initiatives), Marta Lora-Tamayo Vallvé (Professor of Administrative Law, UNED).
Moderated by Armando Carbonell (Former Vice President of Programs, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy).

1.30 pm - 2.30 pm
Children's Spaces of Protest, Civic Activism, and Play
A conversation on how children use street games as a tool for responding to global issues like forced migration and climate change, this session explores play as a form of civic intelligence and is anchored in a research and design project led by teenagers and an interdisciplinary team of professionals from the Architectural Thinking School for Children.
Speakers: Alexander Novikov and Elena Karpilova (Co-founders, Architectural Thinking School for Children).

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Restaging Criticism: Critical Futures
What does it mean to produce architecture criticism now? Has the ability to reach new audiences through digital platforms been a Faustian bargain, at the cost of stability for publications and critics alike? Esteemed critics and editors will gather to compare notes and sketch out some possible futures for critical practice at a moment of extreme flux for the field.
Speakers: Shumi Bose (Chief Editor, KoozArch), Sam Jacob (Sam Jacob Studio, London), Samuel Medina (Editor, New York Review of Architecture), Kate Wagner (McMansion Hell and Architecture Critic, The Nation).
Moderated by Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture) and Florencia Rodriguez (Director and Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago).

May 10
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Designing Ecosystems of the Future
The need for innovation and foresight in designing ecosystems supporting both humankind and the planet has never been more urgent. This panel, including Exhibition participants (Space Garden), convenes an invigorating discussion with global thought leaders in architecture exploring design not just for individuals but for entire ecosystems to sustain life on Earth and beyond.
Speakers: Ariel Ekblaw (Aurelia Institute Founder and CEO, MIT Space Exploration Initiative Founder), Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture).
Moderated by Deborah Berke (Edward P. Bass Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, founding principal TenBerke Architects).

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Urban Diasporas and Participation: an Experiment Powered with AI Tools from Naples
An interdisciplinary conversation on urban and social transformations, starting from the case of Vela Celeste. Architects, urban planners, sociologists, and innovators will explore the role of mega-architectures, urban diasporas, the return to one’s roots, and the use of artificial intelligence in participatory design. A unique opportunity to imagine new ways of living and building community in the future of our cities.
Welcome address: Gaetano Manfredi, Mayor of the City of Naples (connected via video conference), Michele Di Bari, Prefect of the City of Naples.
Speakers: Alberto Martinelli (Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Milan), Laura Lieto (Deputy Mayor and Urban Planning Assessor for the City of Naples), Maria Grazia Falciatore (Chief of the Mayor’s Cabinet for the City of Naples), Catherine De Wolf (Director of the Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture – CEA at ETH Zurich), Elena Ostanel (Professor of Urban Planning, IUAV; Councilor for the Veneto Region).

4 pm - 5 pm
Circular Economy & Design: A Conversation with Arup 
This conversation will bring forward the Circular Economy Manifesto, which Arup and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation developed for the Biennale Architettura 2025 curator Carlo Ratti. It will discuss  Arup’s core holistic approach to Total Design, and explore how circular economy principles guide design to be net positive for planet and people, utilising resources more effectively and creating new aesthetics for our buildings and places.
Speakers: Stuart Smith (Director, Global Circular Economy Skills Leader, Arup), Isobel Vernon-Avery (Circular Economy Expert & Ellen MacArthur Foundation Partnership Manager, Arup).

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Restaging Criticism: The L.A. Fires and Architecture in the Age of Climate Shock
Far from anomalies, this winter’s deadly wildfires in Los Angeles reflect a precarious New Normal in the age of climate shock. How might this state of perma-risk reorient architectural practice, citymaking, and the work of architecture criticism? Architects, critics, and theorists gather to discuss.
Speakers: Alejandro Haiek Coll (Founder, The Public Machinery), Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture), Mark Lee (Principal and Founding Partner, Johnston Marklee, Los Angeles), Michael Maltzan (Founder and Principal, Michael Maltzan Architecture, Los Angeles), Ana Rascovsky (Co-Director, Estudio Planta, Buenos Aires).
Moderated by Florencia Rodriguez (Director and Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago).

May 9
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Intelligens for Urban Regeneration
Urban co-existence of culturally heterogeneous communities, recovery of post-industrial areas, conception of new work spaces as places of community aimed not only at production but also well-being: these are salient themes for the future of cities. With the Nuvola project as one example among many, responses to these challenges are proposed, shared by those who conceive of and design interventions that connect with and complement their surrounding neighborhoods, environments, and communities.
Speakers: Cino Zucchi (Founder CZA Architetti), Francesca Molteni (Founder, MUSE Projects Factory), Francesca Lavazza (Board member, Lavazza Group).
Moderated by Valerio Paolo Mosco (Professor of Architectural History, IUAV).

12 noon - 1 pm
Building over time with Intelligens
Building is a complex endeavor, based on the capacity for interaction between different actors, each with unique knowledge and skills different from those of all others. This panel discussion brings experts into conversation around the collective and connective intelligences required to build, and the diverse set of natural, technical, technological, and artificial intelligences that inform construction.
Speakers: Federica Brancaccio (President, ANCE - National Association of Building Constructors), Antonio Di Franco (Secretary General, Fillea CGIL), Derrick De Kherckhove (Sociologist, Scientific Director, Media 2000).
Moderated by Daniele Pittèri (Cultural Manager).

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Between Islands, A Conversation
This event examines Exhibition project Oceanic Refractions as a revolutionary space where technology serves not as colonizer but as connector, linking fragmented island communities and diasporas while challenging the extractive logic of data commodification and reductive victim narratives. The conversation will illuminate how to transform cultural knowledge into a fluid, living archive—where ancestral and contemporary voices resonate against global silence.
Speakers: Elder Simione Sevudredre (Indigenous culturalist and advisor to the Oceanic Refractions project), Amer Kanngieser, Mere Nailatikau.
Moderated by Marina Otero Verzier.

3 pm - 4:30 pm
Restaging Criticism: The Exhibition as Critical Platform
To what extent does, or should, the architecture exhibition operate as a vehicle for architecture criticism and criticality more broadly? What kinds of alliances can we imagine, or bolster, between the critic and curator? Leading critics and architecture curators will gather at Speakers’ Corner to explore these questions.
Speakers: Aric Chen (General and Artistic Director, Nieuwe Institut), Francisco Diaz (Vice-Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies, UC, Chile), Eva Franch i Gilabert (Professor, UMPRUM the, Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design), Sarah Herda (Director, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts), Lesley Lokko OBE (Professor, Founder & Chair, African Futures Institute, and Curator of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia).
Moderated by Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture) and Florencia Rodriguez (Director and Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago).
Introductory remarks will be presented by George McCarthy and Enrique Silva from Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

5 pm - 6 pm
Collective IntelliGens: How Diversity in Architecture Shapes the Future
Architects and contemporary thought leaders will reflect on diversity in architecture during this event promoted by the non-profit organisation Diversity in Architecture (DIVIA). Through the sharing of experiences and knowledge, this platform brings together international voices to help shape a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable built environment.
Speakers: Trần Thị Ngụ Ngôn (Founder, Tropical Space, Vietnam), Patcharada Inplang (Founder, Sher Maker, Thailand), Izaskun Chinchilla (Founder, Izaskun Chinchilla Architects, Spain), Cazú Zegers (Founder, Cazú Zegers Architecture, Chile), Carolina Rodas & Carla Chávez (Founders, Rama Estudio, Ecuador), Martha Thorne (Architecture Consultant and former Pritzker Prize Director, Spain & USA).
Moderated by Julia Roever (DIVIA) and Marina-Elena Wachs (DIVIA).
Introductory and Closing Remarks by Ursula Schwitalla (DIVIA).

May 8
10:30 am - 11 am
The Life and Times of Gae Aulenti
A discussion around the portrait of Gae Aulenti, a human and professional history among the most intense of the Italian twentieth century, developed around its curious and collective nature, able to hold together the many worlds of architecture and often go beyond its borders.
Speakers: Stefano Boeri, Giovanni Agosti, Nina Artioli, and Nina Bassoli.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Synthesising Complexity for Regenerative Futures
Exploring the provocation, “How can we leverage architecture’s relationship with computation and algorithms to design transformational practices which, in turn, respond to precarious urban conditions across the world”, this panel discussion references Exhibition participant Alisa Andrasek’s installation Agentic Architecture, a research project committed to tackling systemic planetary challenges through scalable design solutions.
Speakers: Fleur Watson (Associate Professor, School of Architecture, RMIT University), Alisa Andrasek (AIArch, Professor of Architecture, RMIT University), Albert-László Barabási (Robert Gray Dodge Professor of Network, Science and Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University), Claudia Pasquero (Director ecoLogicStudiom and Head of Institute of Urban Design at Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck), Winy Maas (Founding Partner MVRDV).

3 pm – 4:30 pm
Introducing “Restaging Criticism”
Throughout the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, Speakers’ Corner will host “Restaging Criticism,” a dynamic series on the future of architectural media. This kickoff event will look back to the role critics and historians played in the inaugural Biennale Architettura, in 1980; discuss the inspiration for the Speakers’ Corner design by Johnston Marklee; and frame possible futures for architecture criticism.
Speakers: Christopher Hawthorne (Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture), Rem Koolhaas (Partner and Co-Founder, Office for Metropolitan Architecture and Curator of the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia), Mark Lee (Principal and Founding Partner, Johnston Marklee), Florencia Rodriguez (Director and Associate Professor, University of Illinois Chicago).

5 pm - 6:30 pm
Cities: Lessons from Microbes as Humans Adapt to Rapid Population Decline
In the last hundred years the human population and its energetic burden on the planet grew exponentially. Yet, the global population is projected to decline equally rapidly in less than a generation. Humanity must prepare for the coming deceleration. This multidisciplinary team of Exhibition participants (The Other Side of the Hill) discusses how microbes offer an alternative model for re-imagining urban and planetary futures.
Speakers: Beatriz Colomina (Architectural Historian), Patricia Urquiola (Designer), Mark Wigley (Architectural Historian), Geoffrey West (Theoretical Physicist), Roberto Kolter (Microbiologist).