The 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale finally opened its doors to the public, on May 22nd, despite all odds and after two postponements. Presenting 115 different responses to “How will we live together”, the architectural exhibition gathered innovative answers from across the globe, all arising from a common determination to change the status quo. Bringing people who face the same issues together to partake in a vital exchange of ideas, the 17th edition has amplified the role and status of the Biennale as the biggest platform for architecture.
Onsite, in Venice, ArchDaily had the chance to meet with curator Hashim Sarkis, to discuss once more the ever-growing relevance of the biennale, different overlapping scales and fields, recurring qualities, and the international language of architecture. Hoping that “people will walk out of the biennale with a stronger belief in architecture as being a medium that can make a difference”, Sarkis in his third interview talks of a collective imaginary that can inspire new spatial contracts.
Giving space to a more inclusive representation, the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale has highlighted that this year’s interrogation cannot be answered in one way and from one source. Moved that it finally happened, Hashim Sarkis believes that nothing can really be a substitute to the sensory tactile experience that physical events can bring and that the digital world is complementary to the on-site event. Noticing 3 main recurring qualities in the generated responses, emphasizing architecture’s universal language, the curator talks of leveling (connecting on the same level), bridging (the in-between), and framing.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, and watch our official playlist on Youtube featuring exclusive interviews with architects and curators of the Biennale.
