The Venice Biennale, also known as the Venice Biennial, is one of the most prestigious and renowned cultural events in the world. It is an international event that takes place in Venice, Italy, and has been held since 1895. The event occurs biennially (every two years) and encompasses various art disciplines, including contemporary art, architecture, cinema, dance, music, and theatre. The primary goal of the Venice Biennale is to showcase and promote contemporary art from around the globe, offering designers and countries an opportunity to present their work on an international stage. It serves as a platform for them to express their creativity, explore new ideas, and engage with diverse audiences. As a result, the Venice Biennale profoundly impacts the design world, shaping trends and fostering cultural exchange. It is hosted by the Biennale Foundation with more than half a million people passing through its gates according to past records. Overall, the event consists of three parts:

1. Central Exhibition: It is organized by the Director in the Central Pavilion in the public gardens known as the “Giardini” and the dockyards known as the “Arsenale” and features curated works selected by the curator themself.

2. National Pavilions: The gems of the event, organized by dozens of countries showcasing the collaboration between multiple designers.

3. Collateral Events: These are independent exhibits showcased by independent artists to gain popularity.

The Architecture Biennale is held in odd-numbered years with a total of 63 countries presenting in 2023. The event, even though prestigious in nature is expensive. Annually, the British Council’s Architecture Design Fashion team co-initiates an open call, inviting multi-disciplinary teams across nations to submit proposals that are reviewed and then evaluated. The selected participants are then encouraged to build their own pavilions to present their exhibits which includes the cost of construction, maintenance and programming during the entirety of the event.

This year’s Venice Biennale is dated to be held for 6 months, dating from 20th May 2023 to 26th November 2023. Curated and themed, “The Laboratory of the Future” by Ghanaian-Scottish academic and novelist Ar. Lesley Lokko, the interpretations take on an interesting route. The Laboratory of the Future and many national pavilions aimed to respond by focusing on decolonisation and decarbonisation.

Listed below are 15 thought-provoking Pavilions at Venice Biennale 2023, that are worth the buzz

1.Pavilion of Brazil – Terra (Earth)

Curators Ar. Gabriela de Matos and Ar.Paulo Tavares emphasizes Brazil’s connection to the earth by portraying the country as a fertile, ancestral territory. Collaborating with indigenous communities, their exhibit contrasts popular dwellings with the modernist pavilion, challenging the myth of Brasilia as a blank slate. It explores the significance of indigenous and Quilombola lands as resilient and sustainable territories amid a world shaped by extraction and consumption. The pavilion received the prestigious Golden Lion award, officially recognising it as the best entry at the biennale this year.

2.Pavilion of Australia – Unsettling Queenstown

Australia’s visually captivating pavilion directly tackles decolonization by questioning the remnants of the British Empire. Focusing on settlements named Queenstown, the installation sheds light on the impacts of colonialism and extraction. The curators aimed to explore decolonization’s local and global significance, examining architects’ role in actively decolonizing places and spaces. The exhibit seeks to evoke emotions, engaging the intellect while reflecting on the historical legacies of colonialism and extractivism. It is one of the most aesthetically appealing pavilions of this year.

 3. Pavilion of South Africa – The Structure of a People

The South African Pavilion, led by curators Dr. Sechaba Maape, Dr. Emmanuel Nkambule, and Ar. Stephen Steyn, centres on the Mpumalanga grassland and Bokoni civilization. The exhibit explores the architectural representation of existing and speculative social structures. Unveiling unseen artefacts and Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the pavilion highlights the past’s relevance in shaping the future and addressing global societal challenges.

4. Pavilion of Germany – Open for maintenance

Germany’s presence at the Architecture Biennale draws inspiration from Berlin’s 1980s “Instandbesetzung” movement. Their exhibit explores living inside the Giardini structure. The main room houses materials from 40 Biennale Arte 2022 pavilions, utilized in workshops with students. The pavilion also features functional spaces like an ecological bathroom and kitchen.

 5. Pavilion of Belgium – In vivo

The Belgian pavilion features a large installation exploring the use of mycelium and raw earth panels as sustainable building materials. Led by Bento Architects and Vinciane Despret, the diverse team questions whether mushrooms could be an alternative to our resource-depleting practices. The project aims to spark imagination and new ways of living amidst scarce resources.

6. Pavilion of Japan – Architecture: a place to be loved 

“Building things means transmitting life to them,” says Ar. Takamasa Yoshizaka who designed the pavilion for Japan. The space explores the notion that architecture is meant to be cherished alongside its flaws. It showcases its design history above and below as visitors savour plant aromas distilled on-site. Their poetic sustainability statement is both practical and accessible amidst the beautiful Japanese setting.

7. Pavilion of France – Ball Theater

The French pavilion, created by Muoto Architecture Studio, aims to rekindle utopian aspirations with an immediate impact. It features a reflective hemispherical stage, serving as a versatile platform for various performances during the biennale. Aligning with the theme, the theatre symbolizes a laboratory where expression and inclusivity thrive, allowing people to transform into different personas through the stage’s transformative power.

8. Pavilion of Mexico – Messico, Infraestructura utópica

Mexico showcases a vibrant 1:1 scale fragment of a rural basketball court. It serves as more than just a recreational space, fostering relationships and decolonization processes within indigenous communities. The well-choreographed exhibit offers socializing space, music, dances, and mescal, creating a fun and zestful experience.

9. British Pavilion – Dancing Before the Moon

Curated by Ar. Jayden Ali, Ar. Meneesha Kellay, Ar. Joseph Henry, and Ar. Sumitra Upham, this pavilion celebrates the spatial designs of global diasporic communities through impactful artworks and a film. It diverges from conventional built environment traditions, aiming to showcase the incredible diversity experienced daily in Britain. The pavilion becomes a space of possibilities, encouraging a shift in perspective towards prioritizing behaviours and traditions of diasporic communities in the design, organization, and occupancy of space. “Our ambition is for the pavilion to be a space of possibilities,” said Kellay.

10. Pavilion of Ukraine – Before the Future

Ukraine returns to the Venice Architecture Biennale after a decade with a compelling pavilion split across two sites. The exhibits mirror structures that symbolize safety for Ukrainian society amid Russia’s invasion. The Giardini display features grass-covered mounds while at the Arsenale block, a dark, compact room reminiscent of shelter spaces reflects the reality of many Ukrainians seeking refuge today. The country is participating in this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale for the first time in 10 years making it indeed special and impactful.

11. The US Pavilion – Everlasting Plastics

Ar. Tizziana Baldenebro and Ar.Lauren Leving curated the USA’s national participation with the exhibition “Everlasting Plastics,” in collaboration with SPACES gallery. The exhibit unites artists and designers exploring the impact of ubiquitous plastics on our lives and the environment. By reimagining plastic waste as a valuable resource, the exhibit urges reconsideration of our relationship with materials. With an emphasis on aesthetics and form, it aims to provoke change in our perception of daily objects amidst the climate crisis.

 12. Pavilion of Egypt – NiLab: Nile as Laboratory

Egypt’s national participation explores the potential of the Nile River, envisioning it as a laboratory for the future. Curated by Ain-Shams University and Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, the exhibit aims to immerse visitors in a captivating experience that showcases projects and case studies that examine new interventions and relationships with nature, landscapes, and cultures in the region.

13. The Pavilion of Saudi Arabia – IRTH إرث meaning ‘legacy’

The Saudi Pavilion team at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, led by co-curators Ar. Basma Bouzo, Ar. Noura Bouzo, Ar. Joharah Lou Pabalate, Ar. Cyril Zammit, and Ar. AlBara Saimaldahar focuses on the country’s cultural heritage while proposing innovative solutions to enhance societies.

14. The Pavilion of Latvia – TCL

TCL (T/C Latvija), is a shop pavilion that mimics a supermarket which gathers architectural ideas and products of different origins. It is curated by Ar. Uldis Jaunzems-Pētersons and daringly blends architectural ideas and the concept of consumerism. Visitors can explore and shop 506 national pavilion concepts from the past 10 Biennials. The exhibit focuses on choice as a fundamental aspect of architecture, embracing pop aesthetics and the dynamics of commerce. It questions whether the motivations behind the concepts lie with their creators or potential buyers.

15. The Estonian Pavilion –  Home Stage

Estonia’s unique contribution, curated by Ar. Aet Ader, Ar. Arvi Anderson, and Ar. Mari Möldre, stood apart from other installations as it took place in a rental apartment outside the main exhibition areas. With a live-in actor performing daily rituals, the exhibit delves into the challenges of home ownership. In Estonia, where approximately 80% of people own their own homes, the younger generation grapples with significant questions due to a small rental market and widespread homeownership.

The Venice Biennale stands as a beacon of global artistic expression and cultural exchange. With its diverse range of disciplines, this prestigious event has continued to evolve and inspire since its inception. As it embraces the theme, “The Laboratory of the Future” this year, it provides architects and artists a powerful platform to envision a more equitable, optimistic, and sustainable world. Through thought-provoking presentations on decolonization and decarbonization, the 2023 Biennale promises to be a transformative and enlightening experience for all who participate and attend it.