Venice Architecture Exhibition 2025: Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, and Mutual Dependency
Venice Architecture Biennale 2025: Exploring Intelligens and Sustainable Environments
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition, known as the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, is set to take place from May 10 to November 23, 2025, in Venice. This year's Biennale, curated by Carlo Ratti, an architect-engineer and MIT professor, carries the theme of Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective., emphasising collective creativity and ecological interdependence.
The Biennale is organised into four thematic spaces: Ideas, Collaboration, Planet, and Visionaries. The Space for Ideas is a curatorial showcase of architecture's intellectual and speculative potential. The Space for Collaboration is a platform for interdisciplinary work, highlighting shared processes between design and other fields. The Space for the Planet features projects that directly engage ecological systems, from bio-materials to planetary urbanism. The Space for Visionaries showcases unconventional thinkers across art, fashion, and activism who are reshaping our notions of space.
One of the radical interventions at this year's Biennale is the Circularity Manifesto, co-developed with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Arup, which challenges the Biennale to lead by example in regenerative exhibition-making. Another notable feature is the first open call in the Biennale's history, allowing lesser-known collectives and emerging studios to exhibit alongside world-renowned names.
The Biennale invites visitors to live in the friction between spectacle and substance, between optimism and urgency. Notable participations include the Kingdom of Bahrain Pavilion, which demonstrates how combining traditional cooling wisdom with modern engineering fosters resilient public spaces and social interaction in extreme heat. The Lebanese Pavilion, titled The Land Remembers, works to preserve cultural heritage while addressing contemporary challenges.
Togo, Qatar, and Oman present Biennale debuts, signalling a shift in who defines architectural relevance. Other national participations, such as the Korea Pavilion, Germany Pavilion, and Mexico Pavilion, reflect and critique their respective countries' architectural priorities and political climates.
In addition to the national pavilions, the Biennale features collateral events, such as the Hong Kong Archive, which explores the urban palimpsest of the Pearl River Delta. An interview with curator Carlo Ratti is featured in DesignDash Magazine (Spring/Summer 2025).
Botanist Stefano Mancuso, honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, argues that plants possess their own form of intelligence, challenging the anthropocentric bias in architecture. This year's Biennale promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of nature, technology, and society.
For more information about the full program, including opening hours, ticketing, and event details, visit labiennale.org.
- The 19th Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, with the theme of 'Intelligens', will showcase unconventional thinkers from various fields, including environmental-science, lifestyle, and travel, reshaping our notions of space.
- Botanist Stefano Mancuso, awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award, questions the anthropocentric bias in architecture, suggesting that plants possess their own form of intelligence.
- One of the significant events during the Biennale, the Circularity Manifesto, co-developed with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Arup, advocates for regenerative exhibition-making in the context of climate-change.
- In the Space for the Planet, projects related to the environment will be featured, such as those focusing on bio-materials and planetary urbanism, reflecting the Biennale's commitment to sustainable environments.
