Venice Design Biennial 2025 Opens with Theme Extinction/Salvation

The fifth edition of the Venice Design Biennial, an independent project promoted by VeniceArtFactory, opened in Venice and runs until November 2, 2025. Curated by Francesca Giubilei and Luca Berta, the event is structured around the theme Extinction/Salvation, explored through exhibitions and events across multiple venues. Main exhibitions are hosted at SPARC* and SPUMA, with SPARC* located in a traditional Venetian apartment and SPUMA on the Giudecca island. A new feature this year is the opening of private homes designed by 20th-century design masters Carlo Scarpa, Ettore Sottsass, and Valeriano Pastor, offering intimate guided tours by current residents. The central group show Extinction/Salvation includes works such as Selma Alihodžić's Phantom Ornament, which uses a historical Swiss Sauer embroidery machine to perforate rare fabric, and Ruth Allen's Where The Wild Natives Grow, combining steel and glass. The Biennial also features Collectible, a show at SPUMA blurring design and contemporary art with decolonial sensibilities. The event coincides with the Venice International Film Festival and the Architecture Biennale.