Turkey's Pavilion Announces 'Spolia Futures' for 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale
From May 8 to November 21, 2027, the Pavilion of Turkey will showcase 'Spolia Futures' during the 20th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, curated by ba-be commons—comprising Başak Eren, Asya Ece Uzmay, Beril Sarısakal Erkent, and Ece Yetim—was chosen through an open call and investigates spolia as a dynamic design strategy. It emphasizes coexistence, archives, deceleration, repair, and speculation about the future, advocating for a circular architectural approach. The curators, who possess diverse architectural expertise, seek to promote ecological responsibility and cultural continuity. This exhibition follows Turkey's participation in 2025 with 'Grounded' and contributes to the national presentations curated by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu for the upcoming event.
Key facts
- The Pavilion of Turkey will present 'Spolia Futures' at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, running from May 8 to November 21, 2027.
- The exhibition is commissioned by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and curated by ba-be commons, a research collective of Başak Eren, Asya Ece Uzmay, Beril Sarısakal Erkent, and Ece Yetim.
- The proposal was selected via an open call and a two-stage evaluation process.
- The project examines spolia as an evolving design method, not just a historical practice.
- The exhibition is organized around themes of coexistence, archive, deceleration, repair, and future speculation.
- ba-be commons' collaboration began at the Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul Technical University.
- The announcement follows Turkey's 'Grounded' exhibition at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Ceren Erdem and Bilge Kalfa.
- The 20th International Architecture Exhibition is curated by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu under the theme 'Do Architecture — For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality'.
Entities
Artists
- Başak Eren
- Asya Ece Uzmay
- Beril Sarısakal Erkent
- Ece Yetim
- Ceren Erdem
- Bilge Kalfa
- Wang Shu
- Lu Wenyu
- Paola Viganò
Institutions
- Pavilion of Turkey
- Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV)
- ba-be commons
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Istanbul Technical University
- Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
- Cornell University
- Columbia GSAPP
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Rhode Island School of Design
- ArchDaily
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Turkey
- Istanbul
- Australia
- Austria
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Switzerland