In Venice, the year-delayed architecture biennale has begun

Venice – The Venice Biennale of Architecture, which was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began this weekend in Italy. The theme of the exhibition is coexistence in societies marked by growing inequalities and increasing political conflict, reported AFP. In Venice, 112 architectural offices and 61 national exhibitions are presenting their ideas. The pavilion shared by the Czech Republic and Slovakia is closed this year.

The main theme of this year's exhibition is the question "How will we live together?" in a world divided by growing inequalities, an ecological crisis, and also increasing political tensions. According to the chief curator, Lebanese architect and dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, Hashim Sarkis, the question has gained importance due to the pandemic. "We pose this question to architects because we are not satisfied with the answers provided by politics," said the chief curator.

According to the organizers, each exhibition presents the visitor with a dialogue taking place in architecture. "So the visitor enters the halls, sees this dialogue, and begins to form an opinion," said the chief curator. The exhibitions unfold across five levels which architecture responds to, from the individual to the entire planet, through family or community.

This year's biennale features architectural offices that are in Venice for the first time, with a few exceptions. Approximately half of the exhibiting architects are under the age of 55. The organizers state that the aim was to present the most innovative solutions regardless of the prominence of the given office or architect.

This year, the national pavilion shared by the Czech Republic and Slovakia is absent. However, Czech architectural offices Skull studio and Molo architekti, featured in the section titled "How will we play together?", and artist Vojtěch Rada will still represent Czechia at this year's biennale.

Due to pandemic measures, visitors to the biennale, which runs until November 21, must purchase tickets online and specify the day of their visit. On Saturday, when the exhibition opened to the public for the first time, approximately 3,500 people visited, reported ANSA.