La Biennale di Venezia
Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro Aravena, curator of the 2016 Biennale of Architecture. Photograph: Cristobal Palma
The 15th International Architecture Biennale entitled REPORTING FROM THE FRONT opens on May 28th and continues until November 27th 2016 in the Giardini and the Arsenale areas and in various other venues across Venice.
This year, the director is Alejandro Aravena who has just won the Pritzker Prize, the highest and most prestigious international award in architecture. There will be 37 different countries exhibiting, including my home country New Zealand with an exhibition called Future Islands. This is just the second time New Zealand has exhibited and this year will be even more impressive with a larger two storied space at Palazzo Bollani in Castello.
“The lady on the ladder who, climbing up onto the highest steps can gaze over a far broader horizon, and by doing so conquers an “expanded eye”, announces the Biennale Architettura 2016 curated by Alejandro Aravena."
The Venice Biennale which was founded in 1895 and is now one of the most famous and prestigious cultural organization in the world, is not only about art and architecture, but also theatre, music, cinema and dance.
The Art Biennale, which is held every second year is recognised as the world leader in contemporary art exhibitions with 89 countries participating last year. The Architecture Biennale which is held every other second year has also been recognised as the best in the world.
The annual Venice International Film Festival (the oldest in the world) has remained a prestigious event worldwide due to the quality of its selection of films and the recent refurbishing of its historic buildings, plus of course the wonderful opportunity for the media to catch stunning photographs of our favourite celebrities against a Venetian backdrop!
All of the Biennale's are very geared towards looking to the future and to young people, not only young artists and architects, but also dancers and musicians.
The Biennale College program has now been established to cover the fields of Dance, Music, Theatre and Cinema, encouraging young students from all over the world to attend workshops and productions offering them the opportunity to work side by side with the some of the best tutors in the world, in one of the most creative cities in the world, to develop their craft.
A well-appointed bridge allowing young people who wish to engage in one of the arts to do so under the best conditions that an international institution can offer.
The big problem with the Architecture Biennale as was the case with the Art Biennale which was held last year is having enough time to see everything.
The exhibitions are so spectacular and interesting, you need to plan your route pretty carefully in order to see the parts you are most interested in. It would be easy to spend weeks absorbed in it all!
Here are the dates and links for the Biennales during 2016:
15th International Architecture Exhibition Reporting from the Front curator: Alejandro Aravena 28 May > 27 November 2016 Biennale Danza director: Virgilio Sieni 17 > 26 June 2016 Biennale Teatro director: Àlex Rigola 25 July > 14 August 2016 73rd Venice International Film Festival director: Alberto Barbera 31 August > 10 September 2016 Biennale Musica director: Ivan Fedele 7 > 16 October 2016 Permanent activities Biennale College ASAC - Historical Archives and Library Educational Biennale Sessions Exhibitions, conferences and panels at Ca’ Giustinian
