The message fell on Tuesday evening, without any explanation. But everyone has understood the reasons. In a short press release, the organization of the Venice Biennale of Architecture announced the cancellation of the press conference scheduled for March 4, at the Italian Cultural Center, its Parisian stronghold. " We did not want to be complicit in a general panic by making comments," simply comment the organizers.
One could have expected such a decision since the Italian government declared a state of emergency to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Veneto is one of the regions most affected this evening. It is therefore impossible for the teams to come to France and organize a meeting of this importance in front of the media to talk about the content of this event supposed to open to the public on May 23 in the Arsenal and the “Giardini”. Under penalty of being quarantined.
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The public and journalists are therefore invited to follow on the Internet, live or streaming (www.labiennale.org), the explanations on the course of operations around the chosen theme "How will we live together?" (how will we live together?) by Hashim Sarkis, curator of this 17th edition. This question asked by the architect of Lebanese origin (born in 1964 in Beirut) could not be better. " We need a new space contract, we must ask the architects to imagine new spaces in which we can live generously among ourselves, as human beings and despite the growing individuality," explains the architect in his manifest.
Shortly after his appointment last year, Hashim Sarkis insisted on living " together as a new family in search of more diverse and dignified living spaces and housing, together as an emerging community in search of equality , inclusion and spatial identity ” . And to add this sentence which resonates even more in us since the spread of the virus in the world: " together we must transcend political borders to imagine new geographical associations, and together, as planet, we must face the crises which require a global action so that we can continue to live ”.
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For the time being, the staff of the Biennale remain hopeful because there are still just over two and a half months before the opening to the public. The installation of the pavilions generally begins around mid-April, but the architects chosen to represent their country must come upstream with their collaborators to identify the places and prepare the assembly. Which for the moment is impossible, in any case, until a new government decision, supposed to take place on March 1. “ If the ban is renewed for one or more weeks, the situation can become very complicated. It is not yet panic but we are in a very difficult situation to manage. And we're already talking about a plan B or C, ”comments Cristiana Costanzo, in charge of communication.
The situation is all the more complex since the mandate of Paolo Baratta, at the head of the Biennials from 1998 to 2001 then from 2008 to 2020 ends on Thursday. He will be replaced by the successful producer Roberto Cicutto (71), president since 2009 of the Cinecittà institution which gave birth to the greatest Italian films with Fellini or Pasolini, from Ben Hur to the inescapable Dolce Vita. He was appointed by the Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini to head the parent organization of the art and architecture biennials which also oversees festivals dedicated to dance, cinema, music and music. theater.
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This native of Venice who left the Serenissima at 18 to live in Rome will therefore have a lot to do. It is a new board of directors which will have to take the decisions and arbitrate on the future of the Architecture Biennial if the situation hardens. Postponement in the calendar or cancellation? We must not give in to catastrophism. The fact remains that some pavilions may never see the light of day. Starting with that of China located at the end of the Arsenal course ...
