Photo: Andrea Avezzù
The 19th edition of the International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia, one of the world’s leading architectural events, will be held between 10 May and 23 November 2025, next year. The commissioner of the Türkiye Pavilion, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is making a two-stage open call to determine the project to be exhibited in the pavilion. The Türkiye Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia is realised with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, and co-sponsored by Schüco Türkiye and VitrA.
OPEN CALL
The International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia is a major platform that presents conceptual productions and approaches in architecture. A part of the biennial’s ‘National Participations’, the Türkiye Pavilion will seek out, for the first round of evaluations, proposals with conceptual frameworks that are capable of discussing the contemporary discourses in the field of architecture in local, regional and global dimensions; explore the concepts on or beyond architecture through alternative interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary practices, and have the potential to challenge conventional narratives.
In addition to having strong visual narration, it is also important that the project’s theme is clear and accessible. The call is also open to the applications of multinational teams with a team leader from Türkiye.
The conceptual framework of the exhibition is expected to be in line with the theme of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition.
APPLICATION STAGES
In the first stage of the open call to conceive the Türkiye Pavilion at its sixth participation in the International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia, the applicants will be expected to present a thematic concept, a project proposal, exhibition designs and spatial narration, a document that details the team structure and methodological principles, and a portfolio that includes the resumés and related endeavours of the project owners.
In the second stage of evaluations, the teams of the three projects to be proposed by the Selection Committee will be asked to present in-depth information on aspects such as the calendar, working method, printed materials and budget. It is aimed that the applicants to be selected at the end of this two-stage process will assume all curatorial responsibilities related to the exhibition and develop the exhibition in coordination with the Selection Committee and the İKSV team.
This call is for curators, architects, artists, historians, designers, theorists, critics, or anyone working in neighbouring fields. Applications by İKSV employees, first-degree relatives of the members of the Selection Committee, or business partners/their employees will not be considered for evaluation. Applications can be made individually or as a team, or through international collaborations that will involve at least one participant from Türkiye. For applications made as a team, a team leader must be determined.
Applications not fulfilling the above-mentioned requirements cannot be evaluated.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Curators, architects, artists, historians, designers, theorists, critics, and anyone working in related fields can apply to the open call.
Employees of İKSV, first-degree relatives or business partners/employees of the Selection Committee members will not be considered.
Applications can be made individually or as a team. In case of an international team application, at least one participant from Turkey must be included in the team.
For team applications, a team leader must be designated.
REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION
-Online application form*
-Curatorial proposal (up to 5,000 characters without spaces)
-Document explaining the team structure and working principles
-Detailed resumés of the applicant(s)
-Exhibition design and spatial narration (up to 10 MB)**
-Portfolio (up to 10 MB)
*All documents in the applications must be prepared in English and in PDF format. All files must be uploaded to the relevant fields in the application form.
**You can download the venue plans here.
The application deadline of the open call for the Pavilion of Türkiye is 11 September 2024 at 18.00.
For further information: venedikbienali@iksv.org
SELECTION PROCESS
The five-membered Selection Committee will determine the project to be included in the Türkiye Pavilion through a two-stage open call. Projects applying for the first phase will be evaluated according to the relevancy of the curatorial theme, the feasibility of the proposed project and the organisational structure of the curatorial team.
Three projects will be selected from among the applications for the second stage and asked to provide a more detailed presentation of their working method, printed materials, calendar and budget. The leader or leaders of the selected projects will be offered a progress payment to deepen their research. After the project teams detail their projects, they will be invited to the İKSV office to present their projects to the members of the Selection Committee and the İKSV team.
THE JURY
The Selection Committee, which will determine the project to be included in the Turkish Pavilion exhibition with a two-stage open call method, will be supported by Melike Altınışık, N. Müge Cengizkan, Professor Zeynep Çelik, Oral Göktaş and Dr. Sait Ali Köknar.
BIENNALE ARCHITETTURA 2024: INTELLIGENS. NATURAL. ARTIFICIAL. COLLECTIVE.
Curator: Carlo Ratti
Giardini, Arsenale and various sires around Venice
10 May–23 November, 2025 (pre-opening 8–9 May)
The president of La Biennale di Venezia, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and the curator of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, Carlo Ratti –appointed as Artistic Director of Architecture Department by Board of Directors on 21 December 2023– announced the title and theme of the Biennale Architettura 2025.
The title of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition is Intelligence. Natural. Artificial. Collective.
Explaining his choice Carlo Ratti said that the title of the International Architecture Exhibition is usually announced in both English and Italian, but for the year 2025, it will be condensed into a single word for both languages via the common Latin precedent: intelligens. Although the title is associated with the modern term intelligence, Ratti emphasises the last syllable of the word, gens is Latin for “people”: “A new, fictional root emerges, suggesting a future of intelligence that is inclusive, multiple, and imaginative beyond today’s limiting focus on AI.”
The exhibition aims to engage with art, engineering, biology, data science, and other disciplines – linking each and all of them to the materiality of urban space and climate crisis.
Ratti also announced that the exhibition will founded on four methodological pillars. “Transdisciplinarity” will feature architectural projects that collaborates between multiple professionals, with the objective of advancing scientific knowledge whenever possible. “Living Lab” will focus on a number of special projects that will leverage Venice and the outdoor areas of the Biennale Exhibition venues, as the Central Pavilion at the Giardini will be under renovation in 2025. Participants will be invited to share their ideas through the biennale's website on a third pillar, “Space for Ideas”, which encourages collaborative design approaches. Finally, the “Circularity Protocol” aims to develop a manifesto to define clear directions and a new standard for the future of cultural events.
With the aim to reintroduce a degree of coordination and coherence with the theme of the main International Exhibition among the National Pavilions, Ratti encourages the participating countries to address the common prompt of “One place, one solution”: “Showcasing how local ingenuity can address our time’s existential challenge that can only be tackled in a cooperative manner, reflecting a multiplicity of approaches. If every country brings one success to the table, together we can assemble a global kit for adapting to the future”.
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