The First Biennale College Architecture

The Biennale College Architecture is the eighth such entry in Biennale College, described as La Biennale di Venezia’s project "dedicated to the education of young people in the artistic fields and in the activities of the organizational structure of the Biennale." Just as the Venice Architecture Biennale came years after the art, cinema, and other biennales, the Biennale College Architecture follows established colleges for art, cinema, dance, music, and theatre.

Per the open call posted on the Biennale website, the inaugural Biennale College Architecture "will seek to complement and enrich the 18th International Architecture Exhibition by exploring how to place the exhibition’s central themes, decolonization and decarbonization, at the heart of architectural education. The process will culminate in a documentary, which will be screened as part of the exhibition." 

In May of last year, curator Lesley Lokko defined the "Laboratory of the Future" theme of the exhibition, stating "Africa is the laboratory of the future" and "La Biennale di Venezia itself is also a kind of laboratory of the future." 

The college will consists of a series of experimental studios, seminars, lectures and public reviews, with students working alongside practitioners, academics and policymakers on a variety of design projects.

Up to 50 participants will be selected from the open call to take part in the college, which will take place in Venice from June 25 to July 22, 2023. People eligible include: graduate students under the age of 30, graduates under 30, early career academics and educators under 35, and early career practitioners under 35. The deadline to apply is February 17th, 2023.

Visit the Biennale website for precise eligibility criteria, application requirements, and application forms.

The 18th International Architecture Exhibition will take place from May 20 to November 26, 2023, in the Giardini, at the Arsenale, and at various sites around Venice.