Biennale 2016, Encounters in Optimism

25, 26 and 27 August 2016: three days of lectures in and around the Giardini of the Venice Biennale on the topic “Encounters in Optimism: Utopia in a Finite World”. The pavilions of German, UK, Belgium and the Baltics have come together to organise debates and discussions.



Reporting from the Front, the theme of the 15th International Architecture exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia is not only structured as exhibitions and national participations at the Biennale, it also serves up initiatives accompanying the event.





These initiatives include the three interactive days of lectures, debates, discussions and workshops on the utopic dimension of architecture in a period marked by turmoil and finitude, “Encounters in Optimism: Utopia in a Finite World”, organised by the Flanders Architecture Institute with the British Council, the Deutsches Architekturmuseum and the Creative Industries Fund NL.





A great opportunity to visit the Giardini della Biennale again and the Belgium pavilionin particular. The Flanders Architecture Institute (VAI) selected the BRAVOURE team (architecten de vylder vinck taillieu, doorzon interieurarchitecten and the architectural photographer/artist Filip Dujardin) to explore craftsmanship, and the skill and know-how required to deal with these times of economic scarcity as a challenge that generates excellence.




Here, on Friday 26 August there will be a discussion on “Architecture and Representation”, an issue dear to the heart of the Floornature portal. Photographers Filip Dijardin, Bas Princen, Jan Kempenaers and Mark Pimlott will be there to discuss visual representations of spatial experiences - buildings. What does it mean to photograph a building? And what can photography tell us about architecture which architecture cannot tell itself? An exploration with renowned professionals in the sector of the creativity of architecture photography - a real messenger and spreading the idea behind the design with the general public in our “photocratic” world. 

Christiane Bürklein

More about the programme here: http://www.vai.be/en/event/debate-and-lecture-series-encounters-in-optimism-utopia-in-a-finite-world
Belgium pavilion, 
15th International Architecture exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia
28 May to 27 November 2016
Giardini della Biennale, Venice, Italy
Production: Flanders Architecture Institute 
Commissioner: Christoph Grafe, director of the Flanders Architecture Institute 
Curator: BRAVOURE - architecten de vylder vinck taillieu, doorzon interieurarchitecten and Filip Dujardin 
With contributions from: De Smet Vermeulen architecten, Philippe Vander Maren - Richard Venlet, Wim Goes Architectuur, architecten Els Claessens en Tania Vandenbussche, Eagles of Architecture, Jo Van Den Berghe - architect, BURO II & ARCHI+I, Robbrecht en Daem architecten i.s.m. Arch & Teco, OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen, Laura Muyldermans + Atelier Starzak Strebicki, Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, Stéphane Beel Architects and Architectenbureau Bart Dehaene – Sileghem & Partners in collaboration with Ante Timmermans 
Scenography: BRAVOURE 
With the support of the Flemish government 
Photos: see key, © Filip Dujardin