In just a few short weeks, the 12th International Architecture Exhibition directed by Kazuyo Sejima, will commence in Venice. Sejima has a long history with the Venice exhibition as she, paired with Ryue Nishizawa, organized the Japanese Pavilion, City of Girls, for the 7th International Architecture Exhibition in 2000 and won the Golden Lion in 2004 for the most significant work of the 9th International Architecture Exhibition. Now, she will be the first woman to direct the Architecture Sector of the Biennale. “The twenty-first century has just started. Many radical changes are taking place. In such a rapid-changing context, can architecture clarify new values and a new lifestyle for the present? Hopefully, this show will be a chance to experience the manifold possibilities of architecture, as well as to account for its plurality of approaches, each one of them being a different way of living,” explained Sejima.
More about the Biennale, including a video of Sejima’s introduction, after the break.
Entitled ‘People meet in Architecture’, the participating 48 international firms, architects, engineers and artists will illustrate their positions regarding the interaction of new social and natural environments. ”This way the atmosphere of the exhibition itself will be achieved through multiple points of view rather than a single orientation,” added Sejima.
Visitors can look forward to “Architecture Saturdays” – a series of conversations moderated by Sejima and previous directors that will explore the history of the past exhibitions. And, the exhibition is holding three competitions for best photography, text, and video, throughout the course of the Biennale.
The exhibition will run from Sunday, August 29th through November 21st at the Giardini and at the Arsenale, among other venues throughout the city. “The idea is to help people relate to architecture, to help architecture relate to people, and to help people relate to themselves… In the end, we would be happy if, thanks to this exhibition, we could feel where our society might be going, what dreams the future might hold for us,” added Sejima.
For more information visit the Biennale’s website. Video via YouTube uploader BiennaleChannel.
