During a live presentation for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, curator Carlo Ratti offered a glimpse into the programming of this year's edition. The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will include 66 National Pavilions, with 4 countries represented for the first time: the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, and Togo. The exhibition, divided between the Giardini (26), at the Arsenale (22) and in the city center of Venice (15), explores the theme of "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective", gathering over 750 participants, including individuals and organizations forming interdisciplinary and multigenerational teams. According to the numbers released, this year's edition is shaping up to become the largest Architecture Biennale held in Venice.
The upcoming Biennale, under the direction of Carlo Ratti, set out to offer a multifaceted exploration of architecture's role in addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change and population evolution. The Biennale's central exhibition is structured around three thematic worlds: Natural Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, and Collective Intelligence, culminating in a reflection on space exploration not as an escape, but as a means to improve life on Earth. The Biennale's curatorial vision transforms the event into a dynamic laboratory, bringing together architects, engineers, mathematicians, scientists, climate scholars, and other specialists to bring together diverse perspectives on architecture's responsibility to adapt to a changing world. This collaborative spirit is highlighted by an open call for submissions, ensuring diverse voices and perspectives are incorporated, expanding the traditional notion of architectural authorship.
Architecture has always been a response to a hostile climate. From the earliest "primitive hut," human design has been led by the need for shelter and survival, driven by optimism: our creations have always strived to bridge the gap between a harsh environment and the safe, livable spaces we require. - Carlo Ratti
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"Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective": Carlo Ratti Announces Theme and Title for 2025 Venice Architecture BiennaleA central theme revolves around adaptation to climate change, moving beyond mere mitigation efforts. The Biennale will delve into predictive scenarios, considering projected climate conditions in Venice over the next century and forecasting population shifts. Among the subjects addressed are concepts like artificial floods, the impact of population dynamics on our cities, and interferences between urban planning and bacteriology. A partnership with Kengo Kuma explores how AI technologies could turn irregular timber into structural material, while interdisciplinary teams are bringing material explorations from around the world to Venice. Participants in the Venice Biennale have been given a Circular Economy Manifesto, developed with Arup, in an effort to promote material reuse.
For decades, architecture's response to the climate crisis has been centered on mitigation— designing to reduce our impact on the climate. But that approach is no longer enough. The time has come for architecture to embrace adaptation: rethinking how we design for an altered world.[…] «In the time of adaptation, architecture is at the center and must lead with optimism. In the time of adaptation, architecture needs to draw on all forms of intelligence – natural, artificial, collective. In the time of adaptation, architecture needs to reach out across generations and across disciplines - from the hard sciences to the arts. In the time of adaptation, architecture must rethink authorship and become more inclusive, learning from science. - Carlo Ratti
Another significant focus is the analysis of artificial forms of intelligence. The Biennale will showcase how AI is used for urban planning, showing how it can help detect the waste can can be reused in rebuilding efforts, turning the city into a place for urban mining. Additionally, the Arsenale is set to be transformed into a laboratory for experimenting with humanoid robotics in construction, an initiative supported by workers' unions
The exploration extends further to collective intelligence, examining how informal processes of knowledge sharing and collaboration can inform architectural solutions. This includes exploring the lessons learned from designing for extraterrestrial environments and investigating the potential for architectural solutions inspired by spacesuits and other technologies developed for space exploration to enhance life on Earth.
Finally, the Venice Living Lab, emphasizes the city itself as a crucial testing ground for innovative approaches to sustainability. This initiative will explore Venice's unique relationship with water, focusing on water management and purification techniques, even demonstrating the conversion of purified water into espresso. The collaboration with COP30 and a focus on sustainable interaction with the Amazon rainforest demonstrate a commitment to global collaborations and the exchange of knowledge concerning sustainable building practices. The Biennale's catalog, featuring essays and a new format called "Impossible Conversations," with AI-enabled conversations with historical figures, promises to further enrich the discourse surrounding these crucial issues.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Venice Biennale.
