Awards have been given to the best exhibitions presented at this year's Venice Architecture Biennale. Among the awardees were projects from the United Arab Emirates, Russia, the Philippines, Germany and Kenya, among others.
photo by Kacper Kepinski
The most important award of the Biennale, the Golden Lion for the national pavilion, went to the creators of the exhibition "Wetland" presented in the pavilion of the United Arab Emirates. In it, curators Wael Al. Awar and Keinchi Teramoto present the search for an alternative building material to cement, inspired by the natural processes of salt crystallization observed in sebhs - coastal plains characteristic of the region. The authors of the exhibition call the resulting structures "vernacular architecture of the future." The whole thing was presented in a very accessible and tangible form of a prototype accompanied by photographic commentary. Above all, Juty appreciated the experiment carried out by the exhibition's creators, which encourages rethinking the relationship between waste and production on both a local and global scale.
russian surprise
Two honorable mentions were also awarded to national exhibitions. One went to Framework Collaboratibe of the Philippines, creators of the exhibition "Structures from Mutual Support." The honor was awarded for a unique community-based project that carved out a rich archive and experience of collaborative building.
In contrast, the award for the Russian pavilion came as a surprise. Curated by Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, the exhibition entitled "Open!" is an archive of the renovations the pavilion has undergone in recent years. Quite hermetic and not very interesting form, however, convinced the jury. As we read in the justification, they appreciated the sensitive and careful process of renovation of the historic building, which allowed it to be open to its surroundings and the future.
Photo by Marco Cappelletti
best installations of major exhibitions
In addition to the awards for national exhibitions, lions were also awarded to the best participants in the main exhibitions. The gold lion was awarded to the installation "Instances of Urban Practice" by raumlaborberlin for its inspiring community-based approach to participatory design, revitalization and shared responsibility.
photo: raumlaborberlin
The Silver Lion was awarded to the exhibition "Watermelons, Sardines, Crabs, Sands, and Sediments: Border Ecologies and the Gaza Strip" by the Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory (FAST). It was built around a central table that becomes a vehicle for information. Together with the materials around it, it tells the story of the struggle for daily survival and building the resilience of the lives of small farms located along the militarized border of the Gaza Strip.
Photo by Kacper Kepinski
Aspecial mention was also given to Kenya's Cave Bureau for its installation "The Anthropocene Museum: Exhibit 3.0 Obsidian Rain" for its imaginative and creative exploration of one of the oldest human habitats.
common types
The Golden Lions were awarded by a jury consisting of: Kazuyo Sejima (Japan), Sandra Barclay (Peru), Lamia Joreige (Lebanon), Lesley Lokko (Ghana-Scotland), Luca Molinari (Italy). The jury's types seem to largely coincide with those highlighted in the review of the main exhibitions of this year's Biennale and the selection of the most interesting national pavilions, published on AiB.
