Venice: Bridging Tradition and Future Innovation

The 19th International Architecture Exhibition, slated to run from May 10th to November 23rd, 2025, positions Venice as both a historical treasure trove and a forward-thinking global hub. Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, president of the venice Biennale, provocatively describes the city as an “artisan shop of art and architecture” and “the new New York in the world that will come.” this duality highlights Venice’s unique ability to reconcile its delicate past with a dynamic future, fostering a space where tradition and innovation converge.

Buttafuoco emphasizes venice’s role as a “universal model for a world in transformation,” capable of embodying the challenge of embracing the future while honoring its roots. The city’s fragility,coupled with its magnetic pull for global cultural energies,sets the stage for it to become a breeding ground for ideas,an urban laboratory focused on natural,artificial,and collective intelligence.

“Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective”: The Exhibition’s core Theme

Curated by Carlo Ratti,architect,engineer,and director of the Senseable City Lab at MIT,this year’s exhibition,titled Intelligens. natural. Artificial. Collective, aims to explore the multifaceted nature of intelligence in shaping our built environment. ratti envisions Venice as a “local model for a global vision,” bringing together diverse voices from science, art, philosophy, and technology.

The exhibition boasts over 750 participants from 66 countries, showcasing more than 280 projects across the city, including the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various university locations. This expansive reach underscores the Biennale’s commitment to fostering a broad and inclusive dialog.

A bottom-Up Approach to Collective Intelligence

Ratti emphasizes the Biennale’s commitment to breaking down disciplinary hierarchies and fostering a transversal dialogue. We built the exhibition from below, he states, highlighting the open call for ideas that resulted in an extraordinary response. The exhibition brings together not only architects and urban planners but also climatologists, mathematicians, philosophers, stylists, farmers, chefs, programmers, artists, and writers, creating a unique and collaborative environment.

Exhibition Layout: A Living Neural Network

With the central pavilion undergoing restoration throughout 2025, the Biennale will transform the urban fabric of Venice into a living neural network. The Arsenale serves as the exhibition’s heart, greeting visitors with a thought-provoking statement: While global temperatures climb, the world population decreases. This sets the stage for a thematic journey divided into three main sections: Natural Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, and Collective Intelligence. A fourth section, “out,” explores space as a reflection of earth, rather than simply a destination.

Spotlight on National Pavilions and Special Installations

Among the highly anticipated national pavilions are Italy’s “Terræ Aquæ. italy and the intelligence of the sea,” curated by guendalina Salimei, and the Holy See’s “Opera Opera,” curated by marina otero Verzier and giovanna Zabotti. The venice pavilion will present “libraries. Building Venetian intelligence,” a project spanning institutional spaces and IUAV locations.

Adding to the allure, Michelangelo Pistoletto, a master of Arte Povera, returns to Venice with a special installation, promising to be a highlight of the exhibition. His presence underscores the biennale’s commitment to showcasing groundbreaking artistic expressions.

Sustainability at the Forefront: A Circular Architecture Model

As 2021,the Architecture Biennale has prioritized sustainability,embracing a circular economy manifesto championed by Carlo Ratti in collaboration with Arup and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.The goal is to transform the biennale itself into a circular architecture model, emphasizing material regeneration and waste elimination. This commitment reflects a growing awareness within the architectural community of the need for environmentally responsible practices. According to a 2023 report by the UN Environment Program, the building and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions.Initiatives like the Biennale’s circular economy model are crucial steps towards mitigating this impact.

Venice: A Magnet for the World’s Future

Buttafuoco summarizes the Biennale’s vision: Building the world intelligently, listening to the intelligence of the world. He envisions Venice as a magnet for the world’s future, akin to new York in the 20th century, with Africa at its creative center and Asia as a repository of resources and ideas.

Awards and Recognition

The golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will be awarded to American philosopher Donna Haraway, while a special Golden Lion in memoriam will be given to architect and designer Italo Rota (1953–2024). The international jury, chaired by Hans Ulrich Obrist, includes Paola Antonelli, curator and director of the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA, and South African architect and curator mpho Matsipa.

Official prizes include the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, the Golden Lion for Best Participation in the International Exhibition, and the Silver Lion for a Promising Emerging Participation. The inaugural ceremony will be held on Saturday,May 10th,at Ca’ Giustinian,the Biennale’s headquarters,with the exhibition opening to the public at 11:00 AM on the same day.