At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, Egypt presents Let's Grasp the Mirage, its national pavilion offering an interactive exploration of sustainability through the symbolic lens of the Egyptian oasis. Curated by Salah Zikri, Ebrahim Zakaria, and Emad Fikry, and commissioned by the Ministry of Culture Egypt and Accademia d'Egitto, the project reflects on the delicate balance between conservation and development, aligning with the Biennale's 2025 theme "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective."
The pavilion proposes the oasis as a microcosm, a self-sustaining yet vulnerable environment that parallels the global struggle to maintain ecological balance. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial systems and rapid development, the oasis becomes a conceptual site for investigating how natural intelligence, collective knowledge, and technological tools can coexist to address environmental challenges.
At the core of the installation is a suspended platform (2.25 x 10 meters) where visitors engage in a metaphorical game of balance. Participants place yellow blocks symbolizing conservation and blue-gray blocks representing development. Each block, designed with dimensions and weights based on prime numbers, challenges visitors to create equilibrium visually and physically, between opposing forces. With 140 blocks grouped into seven categories, the system visualizes the complexity of sustainability and the impact of uneven decisions.
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11 Collateral Events to Explore While Visiting the 2025 Venice Architecture BiennaleAs visitors interact with the installation, their choices trigger changes in light, sound, and imagery. Balanced configurations produce harmonious visuals and ambient soundscapes, while imbalances result in more disruptive responses. This responsive environment transforms the pavilion into a living ecosystem that evolves over time, with documented visitor interactions offering insight into collective patterns and priorities.
The architectural layout of the pavilion (20 x 8 x 4 meters) supports this thematic journey. The central tray floats above a sand-covered floor, evoking the landscape of an oasis. Side walls present archival and conceptual imagery, while fabrics in yellow and blue mirror the themes of conservation and growth. A prominent wall displays a quote from philosopher Karl Popper, emphasizing individual and collective responsibility in shaping the future.
Let's Grasp the Mirage connects the local with the global, using the Egyptian oasis to articulate broader questions about sustainability, resource management, and the role of architecture in creating balance. The installation integrates natural intelligence (inspired by desert ecosystems), artificial intelligence (through efficient systems), and collective intelligence (embodied in cultural knowledge), positioning the pavilion as both a reflective space and a call to action.
At the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Egypt's pavilion joins a broader regional discourse on architecture's role in addressing environmental and cultural challenges. Lebanon's pavilion, The Land Remembers, confronts ecocide by exploring environmental healing through architecture. Oman's debut pavilion, Traces, reimagines the traditional communal Sablah as a model for adaptable, inclusive public spaces. Finally, Bahrain's Heatwave pavilion addresses the global issue of extreme heat by showcasing sustainable architecture and passive cooling techniques.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Venice Biennale.
