British Pavilion at 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale to Feature Festival of Hungry Ghosts by UK-Malaysia Team

A collaborative team from the UK and Malaysia has been chosen by the British Council to design the British Pavilion for the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale. The team, headed by Guan Lee, founding director of Grymsdyke Farm, and Mike Lim, founder of IDK, will collaborate with writer Maria McLintock and curator Ben Swaby Selig, alongside artisans Ng Chi Wang, Lee Shao Chin, and Koh Eng Keat from Penang. Their project, named Festival of Hungry Ghosts, will explore themes of impermanence and migration, utilizing structures made from recycled paper on bamboo frames influenced by Malay traditions. This pavilion will celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the UK and Malaysia, coinciding with Malaysia's independence. Sevra Davis, the British Council's director of architecture, design, and fashion, expressed enthusiasm for the proposal's blend of architecture, ritual, and cultural memory. Following the UK-Kenya collaboration for the 2025 British Pavilion, this initiative continues the British Council's commitment to cultural exchange. The Festival of Hungry Ghosts highlights the importance of honoring ancestors and wandering spirits, with the team asserting that constructing for disappearance embodies a transformative architectural perspective. The event is set to occur in Venice, Italy, in 2027.