The story, narrated by its president Roberto Cicutto, of the themes and protagonists of the 17th Venice Biennale of Architecture, which its curator Hashim Sarkis chose to sum up in a crucial question: How will we live together? Will we be able to come up with a peaceable lifestyle that includes all the living beings on the planet and shows respect for individuals asking for equity, solidarity and social justice, as well of course as for the ecosystem?
The question is a resounding one in a world caught in the midst of a great global crisis, between economic inequalities, climate change that is making its catastrophic effects felt in every part of the planet and a major pandemic that is still in progress. The crisis is forcing us to reconsider the way we live and in which we use resources, and this has made the current period of the Biennale a forum in which to try to find an answer to the greatest questions of our time. With the help of architects from every corner of the world, including areas that did not use to be adequately represented, men and women who are bringing new sensibilities and proposals to the fore.