The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has announced the Türkiye Pavilion’s project for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, taking place in Venice from May 10 to November 23, 2025. The exhibition, titled “Grounded,” will be curated by Ceren Erdem and Bilge Kalfa.
Selected through a two-stage competition, “Grounded” explores soils as carriers of ecological and cultural memory. The project delves into soils as living archives, receptive to natural intelligence and supportive ecological models. Integrating artistic and interdisciplinary perspectives, the exhibition aims to highlight soil’s role in sustaining life, memory, and knowledge.
The “Grounded” project is commissioned by İKSV and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Schüco Türkiye, and VitrA. This marks the Türkiye Pavilion’s continued participation in the International Architecture Exhibition since 2014. The 2025 edition will be curated by Carlo Ratti, under the theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”
Through sensory experiences, scientific documentation, architecture, and artworks, “Grounded” seeks to raise awareness about soil’s significance. The project envisions a future prioritizing life above and below the soil, combining research with vernacular construction methods.
Ceren Erdem, Istanbul-based curator, and Bilge Kalfa, Berlin-based architect and adjunct professor, lead the project. Erdem’s notable exhibitions include “Tack, Limb, Ilizarov” and “All Else Is Far.” Kalfa’s acclaimed projects include Moda Sahnesi and Theater Hall at Boğaziçi University.
Image Courtesy: archdaily.com