Experience La Biennale

Architecture and design are in a constant state of change and so is the learning and teaching. Especially now, (future) architects, designers and urbanists are facing a tsunami of new tasks related to disruptive challenges happening all at the same time. In addition, design is an applied science; therefore, the solutions to these challenges have to be tangible, feasible and appealing. Creation facing universal challenges can thrive only on the combination of formal and informal learning, theoretical and empirical knowledge and on swarm intelligence developed in a teamwork.

How can we learn (and teach) to strengthen unfolding of new visions and approaches to the future living spaces?

Speakers: Michela Magas - Thiemo Heilbron - Markus Reymann - John Gorman - Eva Franch I Gilabert

Working group: 20 students

Location: Ca’ Tron, room TBD

One of the greatest challenges for decarbonisation of our economy is changing individual behaviours. Household consumption accounts for more than half of all carbon emissions. So changing the way we consume — and what we consume — is going to be critical to getting to net zero and beyond it. From a political point of view, it is much easier to make sure that the supplier of energy, for example, produces less carbon dioxide. What we realise, though, is that in all of these efforts of getting to net zero by 2050, the technical solutions will not be enough. We will need to change our consumer behaviour and decarbonise our desires. We need to look at new models of economy, sharing and sufficiency to find new sources of satisfaction to replace the quantity of things with the quality of experience.

Could quality, beauty and sense of belonging be the answers to more satisfaction and decarbonisation of our lives?

Speakers: Alexandra Mitsotaki - José Luis de Vicente - Hilda Flavia Nakabuye - Clara Latini - Orla Murphy

Working group: 20 students

Location: Ca’ Tron, room TBD

In its best form, architecture does not only build cities but also new perspectives, and hopes. A global building culture activated by a sense of social and environmental responsibility can transform the way we think about the future and show pathways for resilience. The New European Bauhaus offers a framework to co-shape and support this alternative building culture. What emerges when architects make use of techniques and materials at the crossroadbetween high-tech and low-tech, take inspiration from nature to incorporate mechanisms of adaptation and, often, accept not to build in favor of sharing and co-operation?

Speakers: Annette Hafner - Gaia Danese - Wael Al Awar - Xu Tiantian - Elisa Zatta - Sheela Patel

Working group: 20 students

Location: Ca’ Tron, room TBD

The power of Artificial Intelligence, increasingly accessible, is forcing us to address fundamental questions of authorship and creativity. At the same time, AI and other fast-evolving digital technologies call on creative minds to consider the architectural significance and design potential of new infrastructures for the non-human world. Data centres, which account for 4% of worldwide greenhouse emissions, are rapidly transforming our built environment. Can we imagine a design with and for machines that embraces ambitions of sustainability, beauty, and inclusion? How can we shape the future digital society in a humanistic way? How can digital tools (digital twins, AI) support the creation of more equitable and inclusive spatial models?

Speakers: Prodomos Tsiavos - Aric Chen - Eszter Dàvida - Petr Skvaril - Francesco Bergamo - José Pedro Sousa

Working group: 20 students

Location: Ca’ Tron, room TBD

La Serenissima has a unique position on the world stage, but despite its perceived exceptionalism it faces the same risks as the Marshall Island, Tuvalu, New York city and other coastal sites that are threatened by the rising sea levels induced by anthropogenic climate change. Our Global Commons act upon all coastlines of the planet, yet neither are they represented at climate summits such as COP, nor have we developed a governance model that facilitates the consolidation, sharing and use of scientific data.  The ambition of Lab 5 of the New European Bauhaus, is to mobilise the mediatic power of Venice and write – 60 years after the launch of the “Venice Charter” which regulated the conservation of the built environment – “The Venice Charter for our Global Commons”. Article One will explore the possibility of establishing dedicated transnational Data Centres and Data Spaces for our Global Commons.

The New European Bauhaus proposes a multi-level approach, trusting the potential of scaling and adapting local initiatives to other contexts and connecting different levels of governance, but how is it done concretely? How do we harness the power of examples, and how can we connect people dealing with similar problems to maximize the chances of success?

Speakers: Giulia Foscari - Markus Reymann - Hubert Trammer - Stephan Petermann - Mattia Bertin - Edgar Pieterse

Working group: 20 students

Location: Ca’ Tron, room TBD

Art and culture have always played a crucial role in human evolution. They are vital parts of our everyday life, and they are able to appeal to our senses, our emotions through their inspiring, engaging approach (conceptually, physically, and emotionally). At the same time, art and culture have the power to make us reflect on our being and our past, present and future

“Beauty” is also what makes the NEB different from other similar projects, and it has the potential to deeply impact people’s lives and, doing so, to transform the initiative into a real movement. But how? What are the crucial areas and where can we start to move the aesthetics debate decisively forward?

Speakers: Luther Quenum - Christoph de Jaeger - Benedetta Tagliabue - Gerfried Stocker - Federica Rossi - Pia Maier Schriever

Working group: 20 students

Location: Ca’ Tron, room TBD