The 7th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Shenzhen)(UABB) Cities, Grow in Difference concluded at its main exhibition venue Nantou Old Town on March 17, 2018.

2017 UABB is jointly curated by curator and critic Hou Hanru, founding partners of Urbanus, architects Liu Xiaodu and Meng Yan, and co-curated by artist Yang Yong and urban researcher Zhu Ye. (in alphabetical order). Through the perspective of urban village, it explores and reflects on the urban development mode of China within a globalized context, and calls for a diversified, inclusive, and vibrant urban eco-system.

With three exhibition sections integrating urbanism\architecture and the contemporary art, called Global South, Urban Villages, and Art Making City, 2017 UABB presents over 200 inspiring exhibits by architects, planners, urban researchers, artists and designers from 25 countries and regions through interdisciplinary collaboration. The imaginative works were implanted into the everyday life, and scattered throughout the lanes and alleys, parks and squares, residents and plants in Nantou Old Town, a 1700 years old town of heterogeneity and coexistence, where the traces of different eras are kept. While gathering leading international cutting-edge ideas and local experimental practices, it also interacts with local residents and intervenes in urban regeneration through a process of “Urban Curation,” envisioning a global and future-oriented example of coexistence. The exhibition was implemented concurrently with the old town regeneration plan, to make direct improvement to the public space quality of Nantou Old Town. It is also the beginning of a long-term strategy for the incremental improvement of urban spaces and the quality of urban life.

According to statistics, 2017 UABB reached a new high in terms of exhibition size, number of visitors, events organization and visibility. During the 3-month exhibition period, the main venue, sub-venues and collateral exhibitions received more than 550,000 visitors, including over 300,000 vistors to the main venue, 150,000 to the sub-venues and 100,000 to the collateral exhibitions. The main venue Nantou Old Town accommodated more than 180 events such as lectures, forums and workshops, and over 200 guided tours for different visitor groups. The exhibitions attracted not only people in Shenzhen and the PRD region but also fans from other cities of China and even other parts of the world.

In the closing ceremony, excellent work awards were presented. The Public Awards – Most Popular Exhibits Award was given to three exhibits that received the most number of votes from the visitors on site. The award winners were "One-House Zoo" by Yin Yemin and Zheng Chu-Ling (ArchSeeing Studio) metaphorizes urban villages residents as animals and displays fairytale-like scenes of life through multimedia; "Paraisópolis Art Practice" by Franklin Lee and Gilson Rodrigues displayed how an NGO organization helps local residents of Paraisópolis, one of the largest slum in Sao Paolo to explore the development of the community through art intervention. "PINGHÉNG (Balance) – Understanding Chinese Reality," a large mural by Boa Mistura elucidates the reality and future of urban villages using the powerful expression of painting and language.

The Academic Committee Awards was presented to three exhibits recommended by UABB Academic Committee. They were "Urban Village Furniture Exchange Program" by Huang Heshan and Jiang Fan discovers the wisdom of “wildlife design,” and connects the exhibition with the lifestyle in urban villages in a wise and humorous way; "Your Expression is My Symbol" by Liu Qingyuan displays a montage of thirty black and white printmaking murals reflecting the unique expressions and symbols and spatial characteristics in urban villages; "Fire Foodies Club" by Atelier Bow-Wow / Tokyo Tech. Tsukamoto Lab intervenes into the factory zone of Nantou Old Town by using unique materials and forms in order to create a new public space that corresponds to the street life in urban villages. The Government of Nanshan District and URBANUS were both presented with the Organizing Committee Awards for the renovation plan and implementation of Nantou Old Town.

*Please see more information and full awards list on UABB website.