CO-EXIST

The China Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale officially opened on May 9, 2025, at the Arsenale. Titled CO-EXIST, the exhibition is curated by Ma Yansong, founder of MAD, and explores the evolving relationship between traditional Chinese philosophy and contemporary technology in a world shifting from industrial civilization to the age of intelligence.

The opening welcomed Chinese Ambassador to Italy Jia Guide, Venice Deputy Mayor Massimiliano de Martin, former Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Laura Fincato, officials from Hong Kong and Macau, participating architects, and invited guests.

Curator Ma Yansong remarked, “We hope this collective presentation signals a process of transformation—revealing the younger generation’s interpretation of traditional Chinese culture and their visions for the future. In this diverse, humanized, emotionally rich era, we aim to offer Chinese wisdom to the world.”

Twelve interdisciplinary teams retranslate cultural heritage through imagination and Eastern philosophies, reconnecting emotion and nature in response to modernism. The pavilion features collaborative works by emerging Chinese architects, research centers, and innovators who explore place-specific solutions while addressing contemporary urban challenges and imagining future Chinese cities.

Highlighted exhibits:
12 Rhythms in Liangzhu (China Academy of Art): A ritual space using traditional instruments to evoke harmony between heaven, earth, and humanity.

Dunhuang·Con-Stella-Tion (Atelier Alter Architects): A floating urban cosmos celebrating cultural coexistence inspired by Dunhuang’s multi-faith vaults.

Spring, Along Beijing Central Axis (Dunes Workshop): A poetic video journey through 10 key UNESCO-listed heritage sites via animated point cloud visuals and soundscapes.

Vault of Heaven (Wang Zigeng): A green netting dome inspired by ancient well architecture, symbolizing dialogue between modernization and spirituality.

Concrete Spolia ([S]Equilibrium Lab): Sculptural reuse of Venice’s construction waste to promote sustainability through industrial innovation.

Renew City Plugins (People’s Architecture Office & Tsinghua University): AI-driven “plugins” for revitalizing underutilized urban areas.

City in China—Nature of All Things (WAY Studio & Tencent): Vertical urban ecologies integrating plants with transport systems in megacities.

Open Source City (Red Product Design Center): Translates social media data into interactive public space designs, making users co-creators of the city.

Interchange City (Drawing Architecture Studio): Celebrates life under highway overpasses as alternative urban narratives.

Chinese Paper Umbrella (MAD): A reimagined oil-paper umbrella forming a poetic microclimate space rooted in tradition.

Exhibition details
Venue: Arsenale—Magazzino delle Cisterne, Castello 2169/F, 30122 Venice, Italy

Curator: Ma Yansong

Organizers: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China; China International Culture Association

Commissioner: China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. (CAEG)

Executive Agency: China International Exhibition Agency

Support: Embassy of China in Italy

Key Sponsors: Huawei (Chief Tech Partner), OPPLE Lighting, China Construction Eighth Bureau, NorthGlass, Langjiu, QZY Models, Far East Façade, Unilumin Group

Design & Execution Team: Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano, Fiona Qi Ziying, Li Ran, Zhu Yuanlong, Valentina Olivieri, Song Jia, Cynthia Liu Qing, and others

Technical & Production: RFR Shanghai, Sur-Mesure Engineering, RDesign, One Thousand Times, aptdotapt, We Exhibit, Top Space, TONEKING, GREEN VIEW