Empty roads, vacant malls, silent streets and all cut off from others. This is how almost the whole world has been living ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit the world about 18 months ago. It led people to live in a confined space where they were not allowed to move out and enjoy themselves socially. In this context, the theme of one of the most awaited events of Venice, La Biennale di Venezia, is either ironic or very apt, depending on from where one sees it. “How will we live together?” is the question posed by the organisers of the Biennale, that opened on May 22, 2021 and will until November 21, 2021. Established in 1895, the biannual event stands at the forefront of research and promotion of new contemporary art trends, and organises events in all its specific sectors of arts, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theatre.
Being the first big show to open in Europe after the pandemic, the Biennale has turned out to be a major attraction for participants as well as enthusiastic visitors. The Biennale started with the commencement of the architecture biennale among the six artforms shown in the festival which is also the longest running among of all. Each segment of the biennale attracts different audiences from all round the world from art enthusiasts to historians and from tourists to students becoming a part of the cultural walk presented through the biennale.
“As it was for everyone, 2020 was the year of Covid19 also for La Biennale di Venezia. But we like to remember the great show of strength the institution managed to muster by turning to its own resources and putting into play its extraordinary ability to react to the unforeseen and the unthinkable, also thanks to the fundamental collaboration with national and local authorities,” says president of La Biennale di Venezia, Roberto Cicutto.
The main exhibition of the Biennale Architettura 2021 comprises works by 112 participants from 46 countries with increased representation from Africa, Latin America, and Asia and with comparable representation of men and women.
The Biennale Architettura 2021 asserts the vital role of the architect as both cordial convener and custodian of the spatial contract. In parallel, the exhibition also maintains that it is in its material, spatial, and cultural specificity that architecture inspires the ways we live together. The organisers are happy with the impact of the event as the number of exhibitors as well as visitors surpasses previous Biennales, despite the remaining restrictions on international travel.
“I feel like the public reception generally has been very positive and the press, where we have had a wide range of reviews, has been very receptive to the idea of coming back to the Biennale and also of the theme being a pertinent question for today. Whether some see it as ironic or prophetic, I am not sure, but it is right there,” Hashim Sarkis, curator of the Biennale tells India Outbound.
