The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) revealed in November 2022 the winning proposal for the curation and exhibition design of the Spanish Pavilion at the 18th edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale, which will take place from May 21 to November 26, 2023. Developed by Eduardo Castillo Vinuesa and Manuel Ocaña, "Foodscapes" focuses on the biennale's theme "The Laboratory of the future", by choosing as the object of its research the architecture related to the food production, distribution, and consumption chain, from the domestic to the territorial level.
In the words of the jury, the project is a real, intelligent, and innovative discourse that promotes research and promises a learning experience where Spanish architecture and national territory are protagonists. The jury also highlighted its recognition of Spain's strategic position as a laboratory for a more sustainable future regarding food systems and the architectures that build them, both for the variety of its food production and for the country's exposure to the climate crisis. The proposal's original concretion regarding the general discourse about architecture and the future was valued, highlighting the practical will to make architecture capable of changing our perspective on the world.
"Foodscapes" explores the Spanish agro-architectural context to address issues of global scope, through a five-film audiovisual project, a recipe archive, and a public program of conversations and debates. Thus, it analyzes the past and present of food systems and the architectures that build them to look towards the future and ask about other possible models that are capable of feeding the world without devouring the planet.
At a time when energy debates are more relevant than ever, food remains in the background, and yet the way we produce, distribute, and consume it mobilizes our societies, shapes our metropolises, and transforms our geographies more radically than any other source of energy. After analyzing our food systems and the architectures that build them, FOODSCAPES looks to the future to explore other possible models; ones capable of feeding the world without devouring the planet. - Eduardo Castillo-Vinuesa on the Spanish Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Regarding the selection competition of the curatorship, second and third prizes were also awarded to the projects "Tomorrow" and "Enlighten", respectively, as well as two honorable mentions for the themes "Possibilities" and "The Promised Sun". Likewise, the jury recognized the quality of all the works presented and, therefore, also awarded five honorary mentions, without economic endowment, to the themes "Bienvenidas", "Autóctono", "Know-How", "Sea" and "Timeless".
