International Press Reacts to 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale

The 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Alejandro Aravena, has drawn varied reactions from international media. The Guardian offers a critical perspective, questioning whether the exhibition is engaging or a tedious exercise in architectural self-flagellation, and notes Aravena's quote about mosquitoes defeating a rhinoceros. However, the reviewer admits moralism is kept low, with many ingenious solutions to scarcity and insecurity. El País highlights national pavilions addressing social issues: the UK tackles housing emergencies, Spain discusses unfinished public works, Germany shows architecture's role in migrant reception, and the US promotes the city of Michigan post-crisis. The New York Times focuses on the German Pavilion, titled 'Heimat' (homeland), curated by Peter Cachola Schmal, which explores Heimat as a fluid concept consolidated through politics, culture, and architecture, inspired by Angela Merkel's selfie with a refugee. El Mundo notes that for the first time, the Biennale aims to connect architecture with civil society, exploring how architecture can improve people's lives.