wang shu and lu wenyu to curate venice architecture biennale 2027

"Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu have been appointed to curate the 20th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia, opening May 8th and running through November 21st, 2027, in the Giardini and Arsenale. The decision, approved by La Biennale's Board of Directors upon the recommendation of President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, brings the founders of Amateur Architecture Studio to one of the most influential platforms in the discipline, marking a pivotal moment ahead of the exhibition's 2027 edition."

"For nearly three decades, Amateur Architecture Studio's practice is rooted in reuse, vernacular craft, and resistance to demolition-driven development, informed by their academic work at the China Academy of Art. With past Venice appearances in 2006, 2010, and 2016 and widely recognized projects like the Ningbo Historic Museum and the Xiangshan Campus, alongside international exhibitions and Wang Shu's 2012 Pritzker Prize, the duo now returns to the Biennale with expanded responsibility."

"Known for their long-standing advocacy for locality, craftsmanship, and the cultural memory embedded in everyday materials, Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu have spent nearly three decades challenging dominant architectural narratives in China and beyond. Their practice, founded in 1997 and developed in close dialogue with teaching at the China Academy of Art, rejects tabula rasa urbanization in favor of repair, reuse, and construction processes grounded in the lived realities of ordinary people."

Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu will curate the 20th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia, running May 8–November 21, 2027, in the Giardini and Arsenale. The appointment follows approval by La Biennale's Board of Directors and recommendation by President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. Amateur Architecture Studio practices prioritize reuse, vernacular craft, and resistance to demolition-driven development, informed by teaching at the China Academy of Art. The studio has longstanding international recognition, with prior Venice participations (2006, 2010, 2016), notable projects such as the Ningbo Historic Museum and Xiangshan Campus, and Wang Shu's 2012 Pritzker Prize. The duo will foreground repair-based, locality-focused strategies in the 2027 exhibition.

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