Adjaye Associates, *Micro Kwaeε*, 2022, Render and Digital Composite 14.7” x 8.27”
© Courtesy of Adjaye Associates

Written and Photo Edited by Wenjie (Demi) Zhao

The highly anticipated 18th International Architecture Exhibition, titled The Laboratory of the Future, will open its doors to the public from May 20 to November 26, 2023, in Venice, Italy. The event will take place at the Giardini and the Arsenale, as well as Forte Marghera. Curated by Lesley Lokko and organized by La Biennale di Venezia, this groundbreaking exhibition aims to challenge conventional architecture practices while focusing on sustainability, decolonization, and decarbonization.

““An architecture exhibition is both a moment and a process. It borrows its structure and format from art exhibitions, but it differs from art in critical ways which often go unnoticed. Aside from the desire to tell a story, questions of production, resources and representation are central to the way an architecture exhibition comes into the world, yet are rarely acknowledged or discussed. From the outset, it was clear that the essential gesture of The Laboratory of the Future would be ‘change’.””

— Lesley Lokko

Walter Hood, *Hood Design Studio*, 2023, Photographer: Chris Derry
© Courtesy of Chris Derry

Orizzontale, Casa di BelMondo, Belmonte Calabro (CS), 2019-ongoing. Collective refurbishment, Sizes 300 m2. Photo Antonio d'Agostino. Courtesy of La Rivoluzione delle Seppie
© Copyright orizzontale

La Biennale di Venezia has made significant strides towards fighting climate change by promoting a more sustainable model for the design, installation, and operation of all its events. The 18th International Architecture Exhibition will be the first major exhibition in its discipline to test the process of achieving carbon neutrality in the field.

The Laboratory of the Future serves as an agent of change, prompting a crucial shift in the way architecture exhibitions are conceived and executed. Curator Lesley Lokko emphasizes the importance of change, as well as the unique opportunity to spotlight Africa and the African Diaspora, fostering a global dialogue that encompasses diverse voices and ideas.

Central to all projects in the exhibition is the power of imagination. As Lokko states, "It is impossible to build a better world if one cannot first imagine it." The Laboratory of the Future begins in the Central Pavilion in the Giardini, showcasing a force majeure of African and Diasporic architectural production. It then moves to the Arsenale complex and Forte Marghera in Mestre, where various sections intermingle, including the Dangerous Liaisons and the Curator's Special Projects.

GUESTS FROM THE FUTURE

““(…) For the first time ever, the spotlight has fallen on Africa and the African Diaspora, that fluid and enmeshed culture of people of African descent that now straddles the globe. What do we wish to say? How will what we say change anything? And, perhaps most importantly of all, how will what we say interact with and infuse what ‘others’ say, so that the exhibition is not a single story, but multiple stories that reflect the vexing, gorgeous kaleidoscope of ideas, contexts, aspirations, and meanings that is every voice responding to the issues of its time?””

— Lesley Lokko

Thandi Loewenson, *Still from Whisper Network Intelsat 502*, 2022, Thandi Loewenson
© Copyright Thandi Loewenson

The exhibition comprises six parts, featuring 89 participants, over half of whom are from Africa or the African Diaspora, referred to as "Guests from the Future," whose work directly engages with the themes of decolonization and decarbonization. Lokko deliberately chose the term "practitioners" instead of "architects" or other traditional designations to emphasize the need for a broader understanding of architecture in response to complex global conditions.

The official catalogue of The Laboratory of the Future consists of two volumes. Volume I delves into the International Exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko, with sections on Carnival, Curator's Special Projects, Force Majeure, and Dangerous Liaisons. It also includes essays on the themes of the Exhibition and a detailed record of the works on display. Volume II presents the National Participations and Collateral Events, featuring illustrated texts that explore the projects exhibited in the Pavilions and Collateral Events throughout Venice.

Andrew Ó Murchú, Grassland Science Department, Carlow, Ireland, 2021, Digital Photo
© Copyright of BothAnd Group

Margarida Waco, Still. Rupturas Desmembradas |Dismembered Ruptures, 2022, Courtesy of Margarida Waco
© Copyright Margarida Waco, Ellipses Journal of Creative Research

The Laboratory of the Future invites visitors to immerse themselves in a bold exploration of architecture's role in shaping a sustainable and equitable future. As the first major architecture exhibition to strive for carbon neutrality, it sets a powerful precedent for the global architectural community. Stay tuned for this inspiring and transformative event from May 20 to November 26, 2023.