The Brazilian Pavilion has been announced as the 2023 Golden Lion winner for national participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale, which launched to the public this weekend. The South American country's win came alongside several more honours revealed for more national contributions as well as individual installations in curator Lesley Lokko's main show, and of course the Golder Lion for Lifetime Achievement 2023 which went to Nigerian artist, designer and architect Demas Nwoko.
The co-curators of Brazil's pavilion, Gabriela de Matos and Paulo Tavares
2023 Golden Lion: Brazilian Pavilion
Co-curators of the Brazilian Pavilion Gabriela de Matos and Paulo Tavares look at notions of decolonisation, national identity, diaspora, indigenous knowledge systems, as well as around Brasília and modernism, while connecting to Lokko's main theme through the vector of the African diaspora. Titled 'Terra', the exhibit draws on the past to compose 'possible futures, focusing on the role of land in shaping our understanding of heritage and identity.'
The pavilion features projects born of Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian knowledge about land and territory, as well as bespoke commissions such as an audio-visual piece by Brazilian filmmaker Juliana Vicente, archival photographs complied by historian Ana Flávia Magalhães Pinto, the ethno-historical map of Brazil by Curt Nimuendajú, and the Brasília Quilombola map.
The biennale's international jury panel this year was composed of Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli (president, Italy); Nora Akawi (Palestine); Thelma Golden (US); Tau Tavengwa (Zimbabwe); and Izabela Wieczorek (Poland). More awards included a special mention for the British Pavilion, titled 'Dancing Before The Moon'; the Golden Lion for the best participant in the 18th Exhibition 'The Laboratory of the Future', which went to DAAR's Alessandro Petti and Sandi Hilal; the Silver Lion for a promising young participant in the 18th Exhibition 'The Laboratory of the Future' to Olalekan Jeyifous; and three further special mentions to Twenty Nine Studio / Sammy Baloji, Wolff Architects, and Thandi Loewenson.
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For London Gallery Weekend 2023, the mood is hardcoreWith London Gallery Weekend 2023 almost upon us (2 – 4 June), here’s our list of must-see art exhibitions, from Jane Dickson’s ‘Fist of Fury’ and Sadie Coles HQ’s ‘Hardcore’ intimacy to Chris Ofili’s ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’
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Birkenstock celebrates its most memorable styles with colourful capsule (and matching socks)
Birkenstock marks the 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Gizeh, Arizona and Madrid sandals, respectively, with limited-edition versions
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Zara Home and Vincent Van Duysen’s second collection is a hymn to conviviality
Zara Home+ by Vincent Van Duysen Collection 02 is the second chapter of the sophisticated collaboration and is focused on dining, featuring furniture, tableware and accessories
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Interactive exhibition at Procuratie Vecchie in Venice encourages coexistence and collaboration
Generali Group opens interactive exhibition ‘A World of Potential’ in the restored Procuratie Vecchie in Venice
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Venice turns into ‘laboratory of the future’ with 18th Architecture Biennale opening
Curator Lelsey Lokko’s theme, ‘The Laboratory of the Future’, brings passion, intensity and imagination to the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023, while placing Africa at its heart
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2023 British Pavilion offers diverse and dynamic installation at the 2023 Venice Biennale
The 2023 British Pavilion, 'Dancing Before the Moon,' contributes a triumphant blend of ritual, music, and cross-cultural pollination to the biennale’s ‘laboratory of the future’
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V&A's Tropical Modernism: a vivid look at architecture culture in newly independent Ghana
Subtitled ‘Architecture and Power in West Africa’, V&A's 'Tropical Modernism' is a richly historical show at the 2023 Venice Biennale, perfectly aligned with the overarching theme of inclusion and exploration of modernism’s overlooked cultural impact
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Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement 2023 awarded to Nigerian artist-designer Demas Nwoko
We caught up with the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement 2023 at the Biennale Architettura, Nigerian artist-designer Demas Nwoko
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Venice Architecture Biennale 2023: the ultimate guide
As the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 opens, we explore the offerings at the world’s famous celebration of building design
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The Museum of Amazonian Science offers global hope and sustainability
An environmentalist’s ambitious project includes the Museum of Amazonian Science in Brazil and fulfils his vision of powering up the local bioeconomy and saving humanity
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MJE House is a rural Brazilian retreat defined by its striking cantilever
MJE House by Jacobsen Arquitetura is an idyllic, rural Brazilian retreat defined by its contemporary forms and bold cantilever overlooking the countryside in Upstate São Paulo
