RETHINKING THE FUTURE OF ARCHITUCTURE AT LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA 2025

At the heart of the exhibition lies a fundamental shift in architectural practice: the move from mitigating climate change to adapting to its harsh realities. Carlo Ratti, a key proponent of this shift, emphasizes that the time has come for architecture to respond not just by reducing its environmental impact but by actively embracing adaptation. Drawing inspiration from the "primitive hut" of early human settlements to contemporary solutions, the exhibition investigates how architecture can evolve in response to extreme climate events such as wildfires, floods, and droughts.

The title Intelligens reflects the core concept of the exhibition: a collaboration of its various forms. The Latin word "gens," meaning people, underscores the collaborative nature of this dialogue. By inviting experts from diverse fields—architects, scientists, artists, engineers, and even farmers—the exhibition advocates for collective intelligence as the driving force behind innovative solutions to our environmental challenges. Ratti proposes that architecture today must be dynamic and flexible, engaging not only with the sciences but also with the arts and human creativity.

This curatorial vision extends beyond a traditional architectural exhibition; it features over 750 participants, including a wide array of experts, from Nobel laureates to emerging professionals. The process has been interdisciplinary and inclusive, with open calls and a focus on discovering new voices and ideas. This shift challenges traditional notions of authorship, moving away from the sole architect as creator to a more collaborative model, akin to scientific research, where all voices contribute to the creation of the built environment.

The show is divided into three thematic sections: Natural Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, and Collective Intelligence, each exploring how these forms can inform architectural design and urban planning. The final section, Out, challenges visitors to rethink the potential of space exploration, asserting that the real solutions to our crises lie in improving life on Earth rather than seeking refuge beyond our planet.

A particularly exciting aspect of the exhibition is its innovative design. Each section of the show will be presented in modular, fractal spaces that mirror the interconnectedness required for survival in a climate-challenged world. The design team, led by Niklas Bildstein Zaar, has ensured that the layout reflects the dynamic and ever-changing nature of our environment. Digital layers will further enhance the experience, expanding the conversation and offering visitors new ways to engage with the material.

Furthermore, the city of Venice itself will act as a "living lab" for the exhibition, with installations, prototypes, and experiments scattered throughout the Giardini, Arsenale, and beyond. This dynamic approach will allow the exhibition to interact with the city, whose own vulnerability to climate change offers a stark backdrop for the ideas presented.