Biennale Architettura 2025: GENS Public Programme

The 19^th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., curated by Carlo Ratti, expands its design content with a continuous Public Programme called GENS - starting from Saturday 10 May 2025 throughout the 6 months of the Exhibition. This is part of a broader curatorial effort to reach out to an audience beyond architecture – and to reach out to different departments of La Biennale such as Cinema.   

The programme unfolds through a series of Conferences, Workshops, and other encounters, many of them the result of the “Space for Ideas” carried out in May and June 2024. GENS Public Programme will engage audiences from architecture and other disciplines in an experiential exploration of the Exhibition’s themes, emphasising relationships between people, ideas, and solutions, and creating spaces for transdisciplinary modes of knowledge creation and intelligence sharing.

“The Biennale Architettura 2025 aims to convene various intelligences – states Carlo Ratti – to confront today’s challenges. Both the Exhibition Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. and the GENS Public Programme reach out beyond architecture, bursting its bubble through cross-disciplinary dialogue and international collaborations. Collectively driven workshops will coexist with academic institutions and global non-profit organizations, creating spaces and conversations that are open to all, and we welcome anyone who is interested, with events happening almost every week. Do join us from May through November – we are open to receiving additional proposals after the Exhibition opening.

In the era of adaptation, collaboration is the key. Intelligens forges connections with global entities in the context of Conferences that form part of the GENS Public Programme. Over the course of the Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia organises large-scale public programmes in collaboration with international non-profit organizations, think-tanks, foundations, alliances, groups, and universities that delve into topics ranging from AI’s impact on creativity to the ecosystems of smaller cities.

Conferences are convened in different locations, including Sala delle Colonne at Ca’ Giustinian (La Biennale’s headquarters in San Marco) in Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, and at the Speakers’ Corner, where scientists, artists, activists, students, politicians and practitioners all come together to showcase the breadth of human approaches to adaptation.

The Public Programme calendar will be defined throughout the course of the Exhibition. Among the events already scheduled, there are Conferences co-organised with: Associazione Soft Power Club; C40; Davos Baukultur Alliance; EPFL Media x Design Lab Switzerland; Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei; Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS); Jean-Louis Missika; The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL; Venice Climate Week.

A set of additional events are being defined with more international co-organisers including: Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, Design: Sustainability Course; The Aspen Institute; Aspen Institute Italia; Greentech Festival; Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; Politecnico di Milano; UN-Habitat. The program will also include an event with former President of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies Luciano Violante, around the word ‘Domicide’. For these events, dates and details will be unveiled later.

The Biennale Architettura 2025 features the Speakers’ Corner to host the Workshops, activities and debates included in the GENS Public Programme, marshalling collective intelligence to transform the built and natural environments in response to the climate crisis and expanding the meaning of Intelligens through public discourse. Located in a prominent position within the Corderie dell’Arsenale, the Speakers’ Corner is designed by Christopher Hawthorne, Johnston Marklee, and Florencia Rodriguez.

Developed by contributors to the Space for Ideas and myriad others, these Workshops include panel discussions, film screenings, workshops, lectures, collective actions, storytelling, choreographed performances, and more.

Supported by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Workshops animates the Speakers’ Corner over the course of the Exhibition, inviting audiences to both partake and participate in the constellation of ideas being explored as part of Intelligens.

An ongoing event series entitled Restaging Criticism, organized by Christopher Hawthorne and Florencia Rodriguez as part of the Speakers’ Corner, presents a series of events across four categories, all relating to contemporary architectural criticism: Modes and Platforms, Territories, Operative/Operation, and Emerging Voices.

The following is a sample of GENS Public Programme Conferences being organised over the course of the Exhibition. Please visit this page again for updates on the programme of Conferences and Speakers’ Corner Workshops.

Saturday, 10 May
Collective Baukultur
Teatro Piccolo Arsenale (Campo de la Tana, 2161, Venice)
5 pm - 7 pm
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Speakers include among others: Oliver Martin (Chair of the Davos Baukultur Alliance), Vivian Brady-Phillips (Head of Strategic Initiatives, Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum),  Antonio Gómez-Palacio (Chair of DIALOG).
This event launches the Conferences of the GENS Public Programme, exploring how high-quality Baukultur (building-culture) shapes the built environment through collective intelligence and cross-sector collaboration. It highlights the shared responsibility of governments, businesses, and communities in fostering cultural, social, and economic well-being. Aligned with the Biennale Architettura 2025’s theme Intelligens, the discussion examines how collective thinking and innovative practices create meaningful, high-quality spaces that enhance everyday life across diverse contexts.

Co-organised with the Davos Baukultur Alliance, a global initiative uniting over 80 governments, businesses, and civil society organisations to advance collective action in improving the quality of living environments through cultural, social, and environmental solutions.

Tuesday, 13 May
Gone with the (Hot) Wind? Cities and Artistic Heritage Facing the Climate Crisis
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)
10 am - 1:30 pm
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Speakers include among others: Hélène Chartier (Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40), Ferruccio Resta (President of Fondazione Politecnico di Milano), Antonio Aurigemma (President of the Regional Council of Lazio), Carlo Carraro (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Matteo Lepore (ANCI Coordinator of Metropolitan Cities), Enrico Giovannini (Scientific Director of ASviS).
This conference explores the need to protect cities and human settlements from the escalating effects of the climate crisis. Rising sea levels, extreme weather, fires, and high temperatures threaten not only people but also monuments, historic buildings, and urban spaces. Venice, as a symbol of both the fragility of historic cities and cultural heritage, highlights the urgency of exploring innovative solutions that integrate sustainable architecture with adaptation policies to safeguard our cities.

Co-organised with ASviS, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, established in 2016, which aims to raise awareness of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and mobilise stakeholders to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Saturday, 24 May
The Intelligence of Cities
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)
10 am - 7 pm
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Speakers include among others: Philippe Chiambaretta (Architect and Urba Planner, founder of PCA-STREAM,) Rosina Vinyes (Architect and Urban Planner, University of Barcelona), Martine Drozdz (Geographer and Urban Planner), Michel Desvignes (Landscape Architect), Jean Guiony (President of the Institute of Land Transition, and Founder of Aqua Alta), Gabrielle Fack (Economist), Yaëlle Amsellem Mainguy (Sociologist and Research Associate at CERLIS).
This seminar, divided into morning and afternoon sessions, investigates shifting urban paradigms, particularly in smaller cities, where transformation increasingly depends on human intelligence rather than technology alone. Structured around five expert-led roundtables, the event addresses urgent topics such as underground space management, AI surveillance, greening cities, and rural regeneration. Running alongside these discussions are two live hackathons, where students in architecture, urban planning, and design will develop and present innovative solutions, culminating in project presentations at the seminar’s conclusion.

Co-organised with Jean-Louis Missika (Media Sociologist, editor of La Grande Conversation, former Deputy Mayor of Paris for Urban Planning, Architecture, Innovation, and Greater Paris).

Wednesday, 28 May
European Cities Conversation on Climate-Responsive Urbanism and Architecture
Ca’ Giustinian, Sala delle Colonne (San Marco 1364/A – 30124, Venice)
10 am - 2 pm
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Speakers include among others: Filipa Roseta (Deputy Mayor for Housing, Local Development, and Municipal Works of Lisbon), Jules Pipe (Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service of London), Maro Evangelidou (Deputy Mayor of Urban Regeneration and Resilience of Athens), Maurizio Carta (Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration of Palermo), Maurizio Veloccia (Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning of Rome), Raffaele Laudani (Deputy Mayor of Urban Planning of Bologna).
This event will bring together Deputy Mayors and city leaders from key European cities to discuss the way we build, plan and design cities to respond to climate change and modern challenges. Sessions will focus on urban planning, urban regeneration, housing and financing, from policies to implementation, showcasing the collaboration between city leaders, the private sector, and communities to foster clean construction and create green and thriving cities and neighbourhoods. Special attention will be given to the housing crisis, with an emphasis on creating inclusive, environmentally sustainable housing for all.

Co-organised with C40, a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive.  

Saturday, 7 June
Climate Tech Startups
Corderie dell’Arsenale, Speakers’ Corner *
3 pm - 7 pm
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Speakers include among others: Carlo Bagnoli (President of Venisia and Professor, Ca’ Foscari University), Simona Maschi (Director, CIID Copenaghen), Stefano Micelli (Professor, Ca’ Foscari University), Federico Cuppoloni (Cleantech4Italy).
This event explores how innovative startups are addressing the climate crisis through cutting-edge technologies, such as carbon capture, energy storage, methane emissions reduction, and smart buildings. It also examines the transformative potential of Deep Tech in reshaping industries and driving the “fourth wave” of innovation, with a focused discussion on Future Farming and Nature Co-design.

Co-organised with Venice Climate Week, which runs from June 3 to 8, aligning with two key UN dates: World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8). This international forum aims to spark transformative dialogue and strategic collaboration on climate action, bringing together pioneers, institutions, and communities to shape the ecological transition through new narratives, actionable goals, and systemic innovation.

* To access the Corderie dell’Arsenale and the Speakers’ Corner, visitors must hold a valid exhibition ticket for the Biennale Architettura 2025.