US presentation at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale

The Department of State’s Cultural Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU) in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce an open competition for a grant to help the implementation of the official US presentation at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, in Venice, Italy, from May through November, 2025.

The 19th Venice Architecture Biennale is a bi-annual architecture festival organized by La Biennale di Venezia, Società di Cultura, formed for the express purpose of planning and implementing all Venetian biennial exhibitions including those for visual arts, architecture and film. Typically, at least 85 countries including the United States, participate in the Venice Architecture Biennale.   

The Biennale is one of the most prestigious international exhibitions of architecture, showcasing leading contemporary architecture from around the world. The Biennale is a unique opportunity to reach non-traditional and underserved audiences (e.g., youth, urban communities, and people with disabilities), and the US Department of State has special interest in engaging these audiences through outreach activities associated with the exhibition. 

The US exhibit will be installed at the US Pavilion, owned by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and operated by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.  The US Pavilion at the Biennale is a high-profile platform for illustrating the innovation, ingenuity, high artistic merit, and diversity of the American architecture community.

A specific theme is expected to be announced by the Biennale commissioners in mid-2024. Please check the websites for the Venice Biennale regularly for Biennale theme information and other updates: La Biennale di Venezia website. Proposals focused on topical and current issues in contemporary architecture will likely be responsive to the overarching Biennale theme.