Carlo Ratti's Biennale Architettura 2025 Critiqued for Contradicting Its Own Thesis

Carlo Ratti's Biennale Architettura 2025 in Venice opens with a critique of the 20th-century 'architect-hero' figure, advocating for shared, inclusive practices aided by artificial intelligence to address climate change. However, the exhibition is criticized for contradiction, notably through Ratti's own work 'AquaPraça', a minimalist floating piazza designed with Höweler and Yoon. The piece, a white, square model in a black basin, lacks enclosed spaces and technology, instead referencing Aldo Rossi's Teatro del Mondo and featuring hand-drawn sketches that assert authorial gesture. Critics argue this work embodies the very narcissistic, heroic architecture Ratti condemns, revealing a Freudian conflict: Ratti seeks to overthrow the architect-hero while embracing its methods. The Biennale's theoretical framework is thus undermined by its curator's own contribution.