Kateřina Šedá's UNES-CO tackles overtourism at Venice Architecture Biennale

At the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, Czech artist Kateřina Šedá presents UNES-CO, a fictional society aimed at restoring everyday life to historic city centers overwhelmed by tourism. The project, which won the competition to represent the Czech Republic and Slovakia in their shared pavilion, focuses on Český Krumlov and Venice. In Český Krumlov, the municipality will provide free housing for three months to selected residents who will be paid a monthly salary to perform "normal life" in the city center. At the Venice pavilion, visitors can consult a catalog of "normal activities" and watch a live feed of the Czech experiment. Šedá, who won the "Architect of the Year" award in 2017 despite not studying architecture, works with "social architecture" to rebuild human relationships. The pavilion curator Adam Budak notes that Šedá subverts the Biennale's Freespace theme by showing what free space is not. The project critiques tourism's dual nature—economic benefits versus collective suffering—and proposes concrete solutions. Šedá emphasizes that the goal is not just criticism but to help visitors feel like locals. The ideal outcome would be for Český Krumlov to continue the initiative after the Biennale ends.