Talks at the Venice Biennale

Marina Otero Verzier, curator of The Holy See Pavilion, and Tatiana Bilbao, the principal architect behind it, join Søren Pihlmann, curator of Denmark's pavilion. They explore innovative architecture through themes of ecological sustainability and social repair. The conversation emphasizes the revival of craftsmanship, community engagement, and the importance of transparency in architectural processes. They also challenge conventional comfort in design, suggesting that friction can lead to richer interactions and a deeper appreciation for architectural history.

In this engaging discussion, Liene Jākobsone, a Riga-based architect and co-curator for Latvia, teams up with Shereen Doummar from the Collective for Architecture Lebanon. They delve into the impact of war on landscapes, focusing on Latvia's border fortifications and Lebanon's ecological crises. The conversation highlights the urgent need for architects to tackle environmental degradation and address migration challenges. They also explore how architecture can advocate for policy change, emphasizing resilience in the face of conflict.

In this third episode of the series, we focus on the Portuguese participation in the Biennale. Titled Paraíso, hoje. (Paradise, today), the exhibition is curated by Paula Melâneo, Pedro Bandeira, Luca Martinucci and deputy curators Catarina Raposo and Nuno Cera. Challenging nostalgic or utopian ideas of paradise, Paraíso, hoje proposes paradise as a present and active condition—something to be reclaimed through collective responsibility, critical optimism, and dignified action. Specifically, in this episode we tune into the voices of landscape architect and deputy curator of “Paraíso, hoje.”, Catarina Raposo, Director and Chief Curator of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Giovanna Borasi, The Architectural Review’s Editor-in-Chief Manon Mollard, and sound artist and publisher Nuno da Luz, moderated by curator, critic and communication strategist Julia Alban to discuss the concept of "paradise" in the context of environmental challenges and the importance of collective imagination in addressing these.Talks at the Venice Biennale is a podcast curated and produced by KoozArch Studio.Post-production: Khaled Nadim Graphics by KoozArch Studio.

In this second episode, we focus on the Belgian participation. Titled Building Biospheres, the exhibition, curated by the teams of Bas Smets and Stefano Mancuso, is a prototype for the ongoing research on the possible impact of plant intelligence on architecture, and more specifically on the indoor climate. The notion of plant intelligence is explored through the climatic environment within the pavilion, regulated entirely by plants and flora which communicate with digitally calibrated systems. A product of a ten-year long conversation, the premise of the project is to underline the paradigm that architecture should support life — beyond the human.Talks at the Venice Biennale is a podcast curated and produced by KoozArch Studio.Post-production: Khaled Nadim Graphics by KoozArch Studio.

In the first episode of Talks at the Venice Biennale, we sit down with the curator Carlo Ratti to indulge in his curatorial process and vision. Taking on the mantle of directorship for La Biennale di Venezia is no small feat; in this episode, recorded shortly before the opening, Ratti emphasises the chorus of voices brought together in his exhibition, from disciplines adjacent to and even seemingly removed from conventional architectural practice. By bringing together various forms of intelligence to inform the future of spatial practice, Ratti’s curatorial composition suggests ways in which architecture could foster a harmony of the spheres.Talks at the Venice Biennale is a podcast curated and produced by KoozArch Studio.Post-production: Khaled Nadim Graphics by KoozArch Studio.