The Danish contribution to the 15th international architecture Biennale in Venice in 2016

The Danish contribution to the Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy in 2016 was a snapshot of a new humanism in Danish architecture. With a wunderkammer of architectural prototypes, the two curators behind the exhibition seeked to highlight the humanistic focus of Danish architecture in 2016.

Every other year, architecture enthusiasts flock to Venice to see architects from all over the world present their challenging and inspiring ideas and projects at the legendary Architecture Biennale. The Danish Architecture Center was the Ministry of Culture Denmark’s commissioner for the biennale project, which is funded by the Ministry of Culture, Realdania and the Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Architecture Grants and Project Funding. These institutions appointed architect Boris Brorman Jensen and philosopher Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss to curate the exhibition in the Danish pavilion at the biennale.

“Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss will be working together to create a dynamic universe that exhibits the diversity of innovative thinking and architectural development of new Danish humanistic architecture. With Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss spearheading “the Danish contribution to the Architecture Biennale in 2016″, we can expect fresh insights into how new Danish architecture has been influenced by critics of the modernist approach, with Jan Gehl as the standard bearer, as well as a stunning snapshot of contemporary Danish architecture – at home and out in the world,” says Kent Martinussen, CEO, Danish Architecture Center.

Reporting from the front – quality of life through architecture

The theme has been chosen by the main curator of the Architecture Biennale, Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena. With the title “Reporting from the Front”, Alejandro Aravena sat the stage for an exhibition that explored the role of the architect in the “struggle to improve people’s quality of life all over the world.

“There is broad consensus among architects that architecture should serve the people. However, there is not much agreement on how, when and by what means humanistic architecture should be created. We want to present a dynamic snapshot of Danish architecture and urban planning, but we also intend to dig deeper. It is our ambition to explore, dissect and discuss some of the paradoxes and conflicts that come with a new humanism in contemporary architecture,” explain Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss.

Danish architects and urban planners was invited to contribute with prototypes demonstrating their current efforts to create a humanistic architecture that influences people’s behaviour and promotes a sense of community.

About the curators

The exhibition in the Danish Pavilion was curated by two strong profiles. Over the years, Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss have observed, debated and contributed to Danish architecture and urban planning through books, articles, teaching and exhibitions.

Boris Brorman Jensen is an independent researcher, consultant and practising architect. He studied at the Aarhus School of Architecture and Buffalo State and holds a PhD from Aalborg University. He has also been affiliated with several international architecture schools and universities, including the University of Sydney, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss holds a degree in philosophy. Throughout his career, he has worked with architecture and urban development as a partner at architectural firm EFFEKT (2003-2007), as a lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, as an exhibitor and as an architecture critic for Danish newspapers Dagbladet, Information and Weekendavisen. He is also a partner at the consultancy firm Wallner Weiss.

About the Architecture Biennale

The International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy takes place every other year and is the largest architecture event in the world. There are more than 60 national pavilions with exhibitions situated in the Giardini district, at the Arsenale and all over the city. The director of the 15th International Architecture Biennale in Venice was Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena.

In 2006, Denmark won the main award, the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, with the exhibition: CO-EVOLUTION. The Danish Pavilion is one of the most popular pavilions at the biennale. In 2014, the exhibition in the Danish pavilion was seen by more than 120,000 visitors.

The exhibition opened officially on 28 May 2016 and could be seen until 27 November 2016.

The Ministry of Culture Denmark has appointed the Danish Architecture Center as commissioner of the official Danish contribution to the 15th International Architecture Biennale in Venice. The project was sponsored by Realdania, the Ministry of Culture Denmark and the Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Architecture Grants and Project Funding.