THE Venice Architecture Biennale, curated for the first time by Scottish-Ghanaian architect Lesley Lokko, is shining a spotlight on voices that have lon
g been silenced in the architectural world. With a focus on decolonisation and decarbonisation, the 18th edition of the Biennale features a significant representation of African and African diaspora artists and architects.
Lokko aims to address the historical exploitation of Africa’s human and environmental resources through the theme of The Laboratory of the Future. She believes that Africans have valuable perspectives on these topics, as they have experienced the consequences of resource exploitation firsthand.
‘The Black body was Europe’s first unit of energy,’ Lokko said, highlighting the long-standing relationship between Africa and resources. ‘Our relationship to them is exploitative.’
The main exhibition includes the work of 89 participants, with over half of them from Africa or the African diaspora. To minimise the Biennale’s carbon footprint, Lokko encouraged artists and architects to use fewer physical materials and instead focus on drawings, films, projections, and the reuse of materials from previous exhibitions.
Lok
ko emphasises that the exhibition is not about introducing Africa’s creativity for the first time but rather providing a space where it can be properly acknowledged and celebrated. She wants to challenge the prevailing narrative that African contributions to architecture and design are recent phenomena.
The Venice Biennale has been criticised in the past for its lack of diversity and representation. Lokko’s appointment as the curator and the emphasis on African voices and perspectives mark a significant shift toward inclusivity and global representation.
President Roberto Cicutto, who selected Lokko as the curator, sees this exhibition as an opportunity to hear voices that have been underrepresented and undervalued. He acknowledges that the exhibition is more significant for the African participants than for the international audience.
However, the journey towards inclusivity has not been without obstacles. The Italian embassy in Ghana rejected visas for three of Lokko’s collaborators, highlighting the challenges faced by events with a focus on the global south.
The exhibition explores various themes, including architectural models that challenge the dominant canon and draw inspiration from pre-colonial buildings, installations that examine colonial exploitation, and narratives of a united African Conservation Effort in an alternative 1972.
The national pavilions also respond to Lokko’s themes, offering insights into climate change issues, decolonisation, and expanded dialogues. Denmark proposes solutions for coastal areas facing rising sea levels, Brazil challenges the narrative of its capital’s architectural heritage, and the US Pavilion explores the issue of plastic waste.
The Ukrainian pavilion provides a gentle reminder of the ongoing conflict in Europe, using installations to depict the protective measures taken by ordinary Ukrainians against Russian bombardment.
The Venice Architecture Biennale aims to create a space for reflection, dialogue, and celebration of African voices that have often been overlooked or marginalized. By elevating these voices, the Biennale hopes to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse architectural discourse.
As Lokko aptly puts it, ‘We are here. We have always been here. We just haven’t been quite in the right place, in the same way.’
