Next week, the world of architecture will focus its attention on Italy for the opening of the 19th edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale. This year’s edition, titled “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective,” promises to bring together over 750 participants in a multifaceted exploration of architecture’s role in adapting to climate change, shifting populations, and artificial forms of intelligence. According to the figures released, curator Carlo Ratti’s call is projected to be the largest Architecture Biennale ever held in Venice. Below, we answer 10 of the most frequently asked questions about the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
What is the Venice Architecture Biennale?
This year, the Venice Biennale celebrates 130 years since the first International Art Exhibition in 1895. However, it wasn’t until 1980 that architecture was incorporated into the institution’s broader artistic programming, following art (1895), music (1930), cinema (1932), and theater (1934). Since 1999, dance has also been included, bringing the Biennale's scope to six disciplines. The Venice Architecture Biennale, therefore, has been the exhibition dedicated to architecture since 1980, inviting international representatives to exhibit, visit, participate, and learn through displays, installations, and events over four months under a curatorial theme. The Biennale’s history is documented in its Historical Archive in Marghera, and the Library of the Central Pavilion in the Giardini.
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Open to the general public, the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale begins on Saturday, May 10, and will remain open until Sunday, November 23. The main exhibition is closed on Mondays, and opening hours vary over the exhibition months. The organization recommends planning a visit between May and September to take advantage of extended hours and a broader range of parallel events during the summer season.
The event is not free of charge, and the organization offers different ticketing options depending on the number of days, areas to be visited, and the possibility of guided tours. Official information on schedules, ticket prices, and purchases can be found on the Biennale’s official website.
How is the Venice Architecture Biennale organized?
Since 1998, the Venice Architecture Biennale has been structured around three main pillars: national pavilions (curated independently by each participating country), collateral events (approved by the Biennale’s appointed curator), and the international exhibition (curated by the Biennale’s appointed curator). This edition includes 65 national pavilions, 11 collateral events, and over 750 participants in the international exhibition. In response to the audience drawn by the main event, it is common for other initiatives, interventions, and parallel exhibitions to open in Venice and its surrounding areas during the first weeks of the Biennale.
Where is the Venice Architecture Biennale held?
The main venues of the Venice Architecture and Art Biennale are the Giardini della Biennale and the Arsenale, a pre-industrial production complex originally used for shipbuilding. The Arsenale hosts 11 exhibition and event areas, a bookstore, and a bar-restaurant. In the Giardini, the Biennale’s Central Pavilion is located, along with most of the national pavilion buildings, the official library, a bookstore, and a café.
The international exhibition is present in both locations, with the majority of it concentrated in the Arsenale. National pavilions are divided between the Giardini (26 this year), the Arsenale (22), and various other venues in Venice’s city center (15). In 2025, some of the buildings in the Biennale Gardens are undergoing restoration, so the organization’s presence across the city will be broader than usual.
In the words of the organization, "Venice will not just host the Biennale Architettura—it will become a living laboratory. The city itself – one of the most imperiled on Earth in the face of a changing climate—will serve as the backdrop for a new kind of Exhibition, where installations, prototypes, and experiments are scattered across the Giardini, the Arsenale and other neighborhoods."
What is the theme of the Biennale, and who is in charge of choosing it?
The Venice Biennale is presided over by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, with a board of directors composed of Luigi Brugnaro (Vice President), Tamara Gregoretti, and Luca Zaia. It is the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia that decides, every two years, who will lead the curatorship of the event. That curator, in turn, proposes a theme for the exhibition. This year’s curator is Italian architect Carlo Ratti, who chose the overarching theme of the exhibition to focus on varied forms of intelligence, be it natural, collective, and artificial, as forms of working together to find adaptations for the ever-evolving and increasingly urgent needs of both communities and the environment. To reflect this direction, the official title of the exhibition is “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”
The exhibition is structured around three thematic areas: Natural Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, and Collective Intelligence, culminating in a reflection on space exploration, not as an escape, but as a means to improve life on Earth. Unlike the invited participants in the international exhibition, the curators of the national pavilions, selected by national organisations, have significant freedom to interpret, or even choose not to follow the Biennale’s official theme.
How are the participating countries and designers chosen?
Any country may apply to participate by submitting a request to the President of the Biennale, signed by a competent governmental authority. Once approved as a participant, each country establishes its mechanisms to select both its exhibition and curators. Some countries opt for public calls, while others entrust the task to cultural institutions. The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will include 65 national pavilions, with 4 countries represented for the first time: the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, and Togo.
On the other hand, participants in the international exhibition “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective” and the mechanisms for their selection are determined by the Biennale’s curator. This year, Carlo Ratti’s curatorial vision aims to create “a dynamic laboratory,” bringing together architects, engineers, mathematicians, scientists, climate scholars, and other experts to gather diverse perspectives on the responsibility of architecture to adapt to a changing world. This collaborative spirit is reflected in an open call for submissions, with the goal of incorporating diverse voices that help expand the traditional notion of architectural authorship.
Do all national pavilions have their own buildings at the Biennale?
No. Throughout the history of the Venice Biennale, 29 countries have constructed their permanent buildings for national pavilions, from Belgium (1907) to South Korea (1996). Once inaugurated, these are managed by institutions in their respective countries. Countries without permanent buildings must pay a participation fee.
One of this year’s new developments is the construction of a new permanent pavilion for Qatar in the Giardini, designed by Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh. It is worth noting that having a permanent pavilion does not guarantee participation in every edition, as is the case with Russia and Venezuela, two of the countries not participating this year.
Does the Venice Architecture Biennale give out awards?
Yes, the Biennale Jury awards the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, the Golden Lion for Best Participant in the International Exhibition, and the Silver Lion for a Promising Young Participant in the International Exhibition. Additionally, the jury may grant an Honourable Mention for national participation and up to two Honourable Mentions for participants in the main exhibition.
The jury for the 2025 edition, appointed by the Biennale’s board on the recommendation of curator Carlo Ratti, includes South African architect Mpho Matsipa, Italian curator Paola Antonelli, and Swiss art critic and historian Hans Ulrich Obrist, who will serve as President. In addition to the prizes selected by the jury, the Biennale will also award a Lifetime Achievement Award to philosopher Donna Haraway and the late Italian architect and designer Italo Rota (1953–2024). The awards ceremony will take place in Venice on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
What is the significance of the Golden Lion award?
The history of the Golden Lion dates back to 1949, when it was first awarded at the Venice Art Biennale. Its figure, the winged lion, is the symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, the emblem of the city of Venice and of the Republic of Venice, a nation that ceased to exist in 1797 after it was conquered by troops led by Louis Baraguey d’Hilliers on behalf of Napoleon Bonaparte.
How is this edition different from previous exhibitions?
The Venice Biennale is an institution that, through a fixed format, aims to reflect contemporary trends and challenges in the disciplines it represents. Each edition is curated by a different team and organized around the theme proposed by that figure, meaning no two editions are ever the same. While the countries represented tend to remain consistent, the exhibition is renewed every two years, as are the rest of the calls for participation.
As for the particularities of this edition, beyond the central theme, notable differences include the increased scale of the event, the new participating countries, and the announcement of Qatar’s new permanent pavilion. This edition also promises to engage a larger section of the city of Venice, extending beyond the exhibition grounds to open up the topics of discussion to a wider audience. Another notable addition is the Manifesto on Circular Economy, created by Carlo Ratti, Arup, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The document calls on participants to create spaces, installations, and exhibitions that serve as examples of circular design, aiming to minimize the ecological impact of the event. The initiative aligns with the organization’s goal of obtaining carbon neutrality certification this year under the new ISO 14068 standard, with the main challenge being the environmental impact of the visitors themselves.
In terms of thematic focus, the previews of the national pavilions and international participants announce a greater emphasis on the integration of technology in architectural practices. This could include the use of AI, smart building technologies, and digital fabrication in design processes, all put in the context of international and cross-disciplinary collaborations, reflecting the globalized nature of contemporary architectural practice and its potential to enact meaningful change at both lcaol and global scales.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Venice Biennale.
