2016-Ennials
Join us on 27 May at Nordic Pavilion at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia for the first in the cycle of three debates that will reflect upon the challenges of architecture and the real or fictional configurations of biennial and triennial events.
First in Venice and Rotterdam, and then in Oslo, Istanbul and Lisbon – 2016 will be a year full of “ennials”—be they biennials or triennials; a year in which Europe will be as if in a continuous loop, a geography of temporary territories. These large-scale events will expose the architecture community to a wealth of ideas on different topics. But what is all this about? What place does the emerging discourse occupy? Will it redefine and expand the field of architecture? Will it have a real impact on our cities?
Even if they constitute an established cycle of repetition, these are more than isolated points on the map; they interact in temporary – both geographic and intellectual territories. They foster the transfer of ideas and generate new exchanges within the profession. In other words: they are far from innocence.
The “ennials” operate as nerve centres; they change sites and architectural players, while striving to provide a forum for new places and new people. Linking these nerve centres in a continuous loop could provide one way to assess the current status of this phenomenon in architecture. Taking the key notions of “front”, “belonging”, and “form”, as proposed by Venice, Oslo and Lisbon as their starting points, this cycle of three debates will reflect on the challenges facing architecture and the real and fictional configurations of this type of event.
27 May, 3pm, Venice Architecture Biennale
Nordic Pavilion (Giardini)
Front
Abdelkader Damani (DZ) – Director, FRAC Orléans
David Basulto (CL) and James Taylor-Foster (UK) – Curator and Assistant Curator, 2016 Nordic Pavilion
Martino Stierli (CH) – Philip Johnson Chief Curator, MoMA
Pippo Ciorra (IT) – Senior Curator MAXXI
Curated by Léa-Catherine Szacka, Rute Figueiredo
Upcomming debates:
10 September, Oslo Architecture Triennale
Belonging
Hege Maria Eriksson (NO) – Former Director, Oslo Architecture Triennale
José Mateus (PT) – Chairman, Lisbon Architecture Triennale
Sarah Herda (US) – Director, Graham Foundation
11 December, Lisbon Architecture Triennale
Form
André Tavares (PT) – Chief Curator, Lisbon Architecture Triennale
Beatriz Colomina (ES) and Mark Wigley (NZ) – Curators, Istanbul Design Biennale
After Belonging Agency (ES) – Curatorial Team, Oslo Architecture Triennale