BI Students at the Biennale di Venezia 2022
Venezia, Italy: an incomparable location of beauty, romance, and art. If you’re lucky enough to be in Venice at the beginning of its Autumn months, you may come across the Biennale—a world-famous exhibition of the arts that happens every two years.
Our architecture students had just that chance in October when they explored this water-winding city of more than 100 islands over five days. Few places in the world can boast such striking architectural character. Fifteen students, facilitated by Prof. Karsten Huckeck and Giorgia Aquilar, could bask in the city’s inspiring buildings and canals while seeing some of the most outstanding contemporary art from across the globe in guided tours.
Like the bridges connecting Venice’s islands, this exploration of art and architecture was connected to and channeled towards a collaborative workshop, leading to a video presentation that followed Biennale's overarching theme.
The theme of Biennale 2022 was “The Milk of Dreams,” taken from surreal artist Leonora Carrington’s book, which describes a world of magic where life is constantly transformed and re-envisioned through imagination. Anyone can change, and the definition of self is entirely flexible. It holds a warped mirror up to our world and shows how human beings are subject to change.
BI students worked alongside students from partner universities in Dortmund, Mannheim, Coburg, Paris, and Venice to capture the essence of freedom and experimentation, expressed in a public space in Venice and then documented on film. Groups presented the finished projects on the final day in the historic Palazzo Ca’Tron, followed by a festive dinner.
The format of this field trip, with the integrated workshop, is an ongoing initiative by Prof. Karsten Huneck, head of the B.A. Architecture program, in cooperation with partners.