Now Here There
18th International Architecture Exhibition
May 20–November 26, 2023
The Romanian Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition—the Venice Biennale presents lost technological innovations and alternative ways of practicing as an inspiration for creating a more sustainable future. The exhibition, titled Now Here There, has been selected following a national competition and welcomes visitors from May 20 until November 26, 2023.
Curated by Emil Ivănescu and Simina Filat, exhibiting together with Cătălin Berescu, and Anca Maria Păsărin, the display seeks to reinterpret the theme “Laboratory of the Future” by inviting visitors to contemplate ideas, concepts, and innovations from connected fields to spark new conversations about the expanded role of architecture. The path through the pavilion becomes a pedagogical one, during which new ideas emerge from understanding previous scientific innovations, dilemmas, and contradictions and exploring different approaches to practicing.
The collaboration with the National Technical Museum in Bucharest has brought original technological artifacts from the early 20th century to the space of the pavilion, featured alongside a curated selection of educational and cultural projects. The exhibition is organized into four sections: Lost Inventions, Lateral Pedagogies, Instant Garden, and Co-Future Thinking.
Lost Inventions
The exhibition’s first section proposes a look back to forgotten technological innovations to find new sources of inspiration and potential solutions to current issues. While some of these inventions of the early 20th century have been forgotten, their creative thinking addressed problems that we still encounter today. Themes like resource scarcity, the availability of drinking water, or the need to find alternative means of energy production are all relevant topics in need of adaptable and efficient solutions. To encourage this creative and interdisciplinary approach, the curators have brought a number of technological artifacts and lost inventions by Romanian pioneers.
Lateral Pedagogies
Within the space of the pavilion, three stairs lead visitors to an elevated platform, where digital displays and scale models depict over 100 different projects and cultural initiatives from the last 15 years, relevant to the Romanian context. These contemporary case studies, developed by teams of architects, designers, urban planners, sociologists, anthropologists, economists, and politicians, speak of ways of practicing architecture both in conventional and unconventional ways, showcasing various and interdisciplinary approaches to the challenges posed by socio-cultural constraints and opportunities. By displaying these narratives in a concentrated manner, a new perspective emerges, one of optimism and possibility for the future of the profession, of learning from one another and collaborating across disciplines.
Instant Garden
Under the restrictive living conditions imposed during the pandemic, many urban dwellers rediscovered an interest in the natural world and the process of growing food. The instant garden installation takes this fascination further, questioning the ways in which the fields of agriculture and architecture can interact and influence one another. By finding spaces for production in dense urban environments, the character of our cities can transform and adapt to become more resilient in the face of climate challenges, as various species of plants can naturally contribute to pollution reduction, air purification, and efficient carbon sequestration. To showcase this vast array of possibilities, the installation recreates a genetic seed bank populated with samples donated by the “Mihai Cristea” Genetic Seed Bank from Suceava, Romania.
Co-Future Thinking
The visitors of the exhibition are invited to contribute to the database of ideas and inspirations by participating in the interactive installation titled Co-Future Thinking. Every participant will have the opportunity to share an idea or takeaway from the pavilion, be it through a small drawing or words written on a card floating in the space of the pavilion. This way, visitors are participating in the co-creation of the future of the architectural profession. All the cards created will be stored and displayed in a dedicated virtual space on the official website of the pavilion, NowHereThere.com.
The exhibition is designed to recycle and reuse 90 percent of the waste generated during its production phase.
