Shenzhen Biennale Explores Urban Tech and Sci-Fi Amid Coronavirus Closure

The Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen, founded in 2005 and billed as the world's most visited architecture event, opened in December 2019 but was largely overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the overarching theme 'Urban Interactions,' the biennale is split into two complementary sections: 'Eyes of the City' and 'Ascending City.' The curatorial team features a Sino-Italian collaboration, with architect Carlo Ratti as chief curator of 'Eyes of the City,' supported by the Politecnico di Torino and South China University of Technology—the first time universities have held a curatorial role in the biennale's history. 'Ascending City' is co-directed by art critic Fabio Cavallucci, architect Meng Jianmin, and sci-fi writer Yan Wu. 'Eyes of the City' is installed in Futian Station, one of Asia's largest underground spaces, transformed into an exhibition area. It explores how buildings and infrastructure are gaining the ability to 'see,' inspired by Jane Jacobs' concept of 'eyes on the street.' The section features facial recognition technology, including an info-point pavilion by MVRDV where visitors can choose to remain anonymous. Over 208 proposals from 28 countries were submitted. 'Ascending City' is held at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Planning (MOCAPE) in the Futian Cultural District, using narrative and science fiction to imagine urban futures. The biennale marks the 50th anniversary of Italy-China diplomatic relations.