Royal College of Art announces 19 members of its community will participate in Biennale Architettura 2023

Biennale Architettura 2023, held from 20 May – 26 November, is curated by academic, educator and Royal College of Art (RCA) examiner Professor Lesley Lokko OBE, and will feature a total of 19 members of the RCA community including faculty, students and alumni.

The 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will spotlight Africa and the African Diaspora for the first time, exploring the theme ‘The Laboratory of the Future’. An extraordinary 19 RCA faculty, students, and alumni will be taking part in this years’ exhibition, a testament to the School of Architecture’s ongoing commitment to  decolonisation, decarbonisation, and ecology, encouraging a plurality of understandings of architecture and engaging with practices across the global south. It is especially rewarding that RCA’s members’ participation occurs during an exhibition where more than half of the participants in the Biennale Architettura 2023 are from Africa or the African diaspora.

RCA practitioners featuring at the Biennale Architettura 2023 include:

The International Exhibition:

Alumnus Sir David Adjaye OM OBE RA along with Associate Lecturer Sumayya Vally, Visiting Lecturer & Alumnus Moad Musbahi, and Senior Tutor Thandi Loewenson will exhibit in a section titled ‘Force Majeure’, representing African and diasporic architectural production.

National Pavilions:

Alumnus Yussef Agbo-Ola will exhibit in ‘Dancing Before the Moon’ at Great Britain’s National Pavilion which will focus on spatial rituals in diasporic communities.

Associate Lecturer Marina Otero Verzier will exhibit in ‘FOODSCAPES’ at Spain’s National Pavilion exploring Spanish agricultural architecture.

Tutors and Associate Lecturers Sabrina Morreale and Lorenzo Perri will exhibit in ‘SPAZIALE: Everyone Belongs to Everyone Else’ at Italy’s National Pavilion which will provide an unconventional portrait of Italian architecture within the international context.

Curator’s Special Projects:

Associate Lecturer Margarida Waco will exhibit in ‘Food, Agriculture and Climate Change’, and Programme Lead Dr Ines Weizman will exhibit in ‘Gender & Geography’ looking at the complex relationship between climate change, land practices and food production, and gender, architecture and performance respectively.

Associate Lecturer Dele Adeyemo, Associate Lecturer & Alumna Ibiye Camp, Associate Lecturer Meriem Chabani, Visiting Lecturer and Alumna Oluwa Folasade Okunribido, Alumna Anusha Alamgir and Alumna Lauren-Loïs Duah will exhibit in ‘Guests from the Future’. This section features practitioners whose work provides a glimpse into new generations of practice.

Carnival Public Programme:

Tutor Thomas Aquilina will participate in the Carnival public programme.

Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-Chancellor, Royal College of Art, said:

“I’m especially proud to see that the work of 19 members of the RCA architecture community is being presented in this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale. From a focus on Africa and the African Diaspora, to concerns over the legacy of colonialism and its impact on the environment, there’s a real plurality of voices leading the way on contemporary issues of enormous importance to architecture.”

Dr Adrian Lahoud, Dean of the School of Architecture, Royal College of Art, commented:

“The School of Architecture has been tirelessly committed to supporting new perspectives on ecology and power in its work and its culture for many years. The recognition of so many members of the RCA Architecture community in this particular Venice Biennale is therefore a source of immense pride. I am especially excited to see faculty and alumni acknowledged in ‘Guests from the Future’.”