In 1963, the famous Dutch architect Constant Nieuwenhuys wrote: ‘’The future homo ludens (playing man) will probably be a normal man. His main activities will be focused on the construction of reality, whilst freely creating the world without the hardships or struggle for existence. It should give rise to the revolution of public behaviour. If man becomes independent of work, he will not be attached to one place, he will not have to settle down. He will be able to move freely, to change surroundings and to expand his territories. His relationship with space will be as free as that with his time’’ (Daniel Herman, Constant’s new Babilon, Artbyte, March-April, 2000
Arsenale greets its visitors with an installation by the Biennale's curator Alejandro Aravena that is made out of 90 tonnes of waste generated by the previous Art Biennale.
While watching the world going mental I remembered one weekend last year that made me think that despite all political hassles the future is brighter than ever. It was that one weekend in Venice exploring Architecture Biennale.
When I chose to be an architect I thought that architecture is mostly about nice buildings. I was wrong. It is not just all about nice buildings, it is also about ugly ones. Moreover, this is just one side of the profession The most important is that architecture is about endless dreams- dreams about the future, about the structures that are impossible to build or structures that are ideologically or politically unacceptable. However, it is crucial to understand that those buildings that are not meant to be built still make enormous impact. Those dreams embraces not only construction but also lifestyle transformations. Therefore, as art critic Jonas Valatkevicius notes , it leaves architects as the most active utopians - the thinkers of perfect society.
In the future envisioned by Alejandro Aravena the curator of the 2016 Bienalle architecture is used as a tool to influence or tackle global issues. The exhibition turned away from luxurious architecture in capitalist society and focused on architecture as an aid for humanity: The Biennale exposed the built horizon that is beyond the traditional scope of the profession: urban slums, denatured megacities, conflict zones, rural villages far off the grid, environmental issues. Exhibited projects shed a light on global issues and exposed what architects are capable but often forgets to do.
The Spanish Pavilion ''Unfinished'' focused on a consequences of global economic crisis in Spain and the lasting effect it left on architecture. The exhibition presented a range of architectural projects in which architects used simple and carefully designed elements and proved that is possible to "do more with less.”
The curators of Ireland's national pavilion presented an installation ''Loosing myself'' which have attempted to recreate the fragmentary experience of architecture that is familiar to dementia sufferers.The immersive installation aims to offer an insight into the brain disease, which affects over 46 million people worldwide, to help architects understand the importance of clear orientation in their designs.
Installation by elton_léniz architectural studio and Fundación Caserta
the “Warka Water” project in Ethiopia presented the material of the future. Up to 70 litres of water per day condense on the mesh canopy from moisture in the air – and assure a basic supply of water in extremely dry areas.
Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi presented the floating school as part of his ongoing research into building for flood-prone regions.
'Recetas Urbanas' pavilion by Santiago Cirugeda who seeks to empower citizens to act in their own locality by showing how it is possible to subvert laws, regulations, and conventions.
The evidence Room-pavilion by Anne Bordeleau, Sascha Hastings, Donald McKay & Robert Jan van Pelt was dedicated to prove that Holocaust denial which happened in a year 2000 is absolutely vain and pointless. (In 2000, a libel suit argued before the Royal Courts of Justice in London successfully challenged the false assertion by a revisionist historian and Holocaust denier that there had been no gas chambers in Auschwitz and that, therefore, the Holocaust didn’t happen.) The room presented an installation that consists of life-size replicas and casts of key pieces of architectural evidence from Auschwitz...
Japanese pavilion focused on relationship between architecture and unemployment in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it presents a series of projects that show how the country's architects and communities are becoming more focused on sharing.
German Pavilion Making Heimat (''Homeland'') focuses on refugee housing crisis and presents the archive of affordable and high-quality residential space examples across Germany and Europe.
Anyway you are able to find all the project on the internet and read about them more. However, what i wanted to say, that todays ‘ most active utopians' see the future build up together not separately. In their projects future is shared and based on humanity and common good: people help each other despite the fact that they are different in many ways. Moreover, together they take care of the environment that is around. Shared knowledge, collaboration and integration are the key factors to better future. We simply can’t solve global issues on our own.
And here is just a view of the cutest European city, where streets and architecture was made to dream, love and create stories. And love and storytelling is what the present is missing.