American philosopher Donna Haraway and the late Italian architect and designer Italo Rota (1953–2024) are the recipients of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement and the Special Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Memoriam, respectively, for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. The exhibition will take place from 10 May to 23 November 2025 across the Giardini and Arsenale venues in Venice. The awards were approved by the Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, following the proposal of Carlo Ratti, Curator of the 2025 Architecture Biennale.
Donna Haraway is widely regarded as one of the most influential contemporary thinkers working across science studies, feminist theory, anthropology, and philosophy of technology. Her interdisciplinary approach has shaped new ways of understanding the interconnectedness of human, nonhuman, and technological life. She is best known for her conceptualization of the "Chthulucene," a term she coined as an alternative to the Anthropocene, emphasizing the urgent need for symbiosis and co-existence among species. According to curator Carlo Ratti, Haraway's legacy "will appear from whichever route one approaches the convergence of multiple forms of intelligence in shaping our future."
Haraway is Professor Emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the author of numerous influential works, including Staying with the Trouble, The Companion Species Manifesto, and Simians, Cyborgs, and Women. Her writing and vision offer architects and designers vital perspectives on how to navigate a rapidly evolving world shaped by ecological and technological transformations.
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Italo Rota is posthumously awarded the Special Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Memoriam for his original and far-reaching contributions to architecture and design. A graduate of Politecnico di Milano and a collaborator of figures such as Gae Aulenti and Vittorio Gregotti, Rota was known for his ability to move fluidly across styles and disciplines. His projects consistently embraced innovation, poetic imagination, and a deep engagement with nature, science, and technology.
Rota's major works include the interior design of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Museo del Novecento in Milan, and the Italian Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020. He was also known for his educational roles and cultural contributions, including his leadership at NABA in Milan and his collaborations with institutions in Paris, Shanghai, and New York.
Carlo Ratti noted that the journey of Biennale Architettura 2025 began in late 2023 in collaboration with Rota, before being tragically interrupted by his passing on 6 April 2024. His memory will be honored through the project Material Bank: Matters Make Sense, to be exhibited at the Arsenale. It will be presented by his partner and longtime collaborator Margherita Palli, alongside Stefano Capolongo, Ingrid Maria Paoletti, and physicist Konstantin Novosëlov.
The Special Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Memoriam has previously been awarded to Lina Bo Bardi (2021), Kazuo Shinohara (2010), and Vittorio Gregotti (2020), all celebrated for their lasting impact on architectural culture and discourse. In other similar news, French architect Anne Lacaton, recipient of the 2021 Pritzker Architecture Prize,has been awarded the 2025 Jane Drew Prize for Architecture. Meanwhile, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a professional organization dedicated to supporting architects and advancing the field of architecture, has announced the elevation of 93 architects to its College of Fellows.
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