Nieuwe Instituut has appointed Jan Jongert / Superuse Studios from Rotterdam as curator of the Dutch Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. In response to Lesley Lokko’s overarching theme for this edition of the Biennale, “Laboratory of the Future,” the Dutch curatorial team aims to explore the complex systems that underpin the structures of our societies. The exhibition will be open from 20 May to 26 November 2023.
As a starting point for the exhibition, the curators will present the visionary drawings of architect Carlijn Kingma. The focus will be on the artwork titled “The Waterworks of Money,” a collaboration with Martijn Jeroen van der Linden, professor of New Finance at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and Thomas Bollen, investigative journalist at Follow the Money. The drawing is an attempt to represent the complex financial and regulatory systems that shape society and the relationships with each other and the planet.
To further develop this theme, the pavilion will use water as a metaphor for the necessity of rethinking these systems. The aim is to adapt and reimagine existing systems in order to ensure a more just and ecologically resilient future. To illustrate the point, Jongert, and Superuse Studios intend to install a permanent water retention system for capturing and redistributing rainwater in the pavilion. Throughout the exhibition, they will also present the documentation of their efforts to do so.
Nieuwe Instituut is the institution responsible for commissioning the contribution of the Netherlands at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The exhibition is organized in the Dutch pavilion in the biennale’s Giardini designed by Gerrit Rietveld and completed in 1954. For the interpretation and realization of this year’s exhibition, Nieuwe Instituut is collaborating with the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science.
Several other countries have also announced their curators and contributions for the 18th edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale. The British Pavilion, curated by Jayden Ali, Joseph Henry, Meneesha Kellay, and Sumitra Upham, will display several installations created by six designers and artists; Switzerland announced their intention to explore the territorial relationship between them and their neighbor in the Giardini: Venezuela. Meanwhile, the Uruguay Pavilion looks at future scenarios influenced by forestry laws, while the United States Pavilion explores its relationship and interdependency with plastic.
