Stefano Tornieri och Agatino Rizzo på plats i Venedig.
27 May 2025
Putting the Arctic on the map at the Venice Architecture Biennale
It is one of the world's most prestigious events in contemporary architecture. Luleå University of Technology is involved when the Venice Architecture Biennale opens to the public, with a contribution that focuses on the Arctic, extractive cultures and future sustainability.
"Being part of the Venice Architecture Biennale is not only an honor. It is a chance to challenge the familiar, to highlight both innovation and traditional knowledge and to imagine new futures through architecture, says Agatino Rizzo, Professor of Architecture and Chair at Luleå University of Technology.
Stefano Tornieri och Agatino Rizzo.
Arctic landscapes in the spotlight
The project Transforming Legacy: The Evolution of Extractive Cultures in the European Arctic is a collaboration between Rizzo, Associate Professor Stefano Tornieri and Professor Johan Sandström. By contrasting the rhetoric of technology-driven green transition with long-standing local knowledge and cultural practices, the researchers want to raise questions about what kind of sustainability is really possible - and what history we are building the future on.
'We have brought an all-too-often ignored development of extractive culture to the Architecture Biennale's main stage, turning an underappreciated issue into a global conversation," said Stefano Tornieri, Head of regenerative urbanism research at the university.
The biennale that shapes the future of architecture
The Venice Biennale of Architecture, officially known as the International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, is one of the world's most influential forums for architecture. It is held every two years and brings together architects, artists, designers and researchers from around the world. This year's edition is curated by Carlo Ratti and has the theme IntelliGens. Natural. Artificial. Collective, which explores the interplay between natural, artificial and collective intelligence - and how these affect our built environments and future ways of life.
The Biennale has a significant impact on architectural debate and practice globally. The last edition attracted over 275 000 visitors from more than 80 countries. With over 60 national contributions and a host of side events, the event is an important global arena for discussions on the role of architecture in societal development.
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