Guendalina Salimei will curate the Italian Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2025

Guendalina Salimei will curate the Italian Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2025? Yes!

You’re going to Venice in 2025? You’re in for a treat! The Architecture Biennale will be in Venice and the Italian Pavilion will be curated by Guendalina Salimei, an Italian architect and professor. Salimei’s pavilion will be all about Italy and the sea. If you like architecture, design or just want to experience Italy in a new way, Venice 2025 will be unmissable.

Read Guendalina Salimei’s concept for the Italian Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2025.

Guendalina Salimei will curate the Italian Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2025

Being curator is a big deal, not only because she’s an accomplished urban and environmental designer but also because she’s the first solo female curator of the Italian Pavilion in almost 10 years. Salimei’s project for the Biennale, TERRÆ AQUÆ.

"L’Italia e l’intelligenza del mare", will explore Italy’s coastal heritage and the special bond that Italians have with the Mediterranean Sea. She will turn the Italian Pavilion into a fascinating space that shows how Italy’s geography, culture and architecture are shaped by the sea.

Salimei was chosen after a tough competition among ten candidates. Some big names in architecture proposed their own projects but her idea, praised for its originality, won. With a clear focus on the Mediterranean as part of Italian identity, her project will be the Biennale’s main attraction and will give visitors a new way to see Italy’s architecture and its relationship with the water that surrounds it.

Italian Pavilion: Terra e mare

Entering the Italian Pavilion in Venice will be like entering a space where land meets sea – an exploration of the thin line that separates and connects them. The theme of “threshold” will be at the heart of Salimei’s TERRÆ AQUÆ project. Her project will go beyond the traditional museum-style exhibit and will be an immersive and interactive experience that captures the essence of Italy’s coasts and its architectural heritage.

For Salimei the Italian Pavilion is more than an exhibition; it’s an invitation to re-think Italy’s architectural landscape through the Mediterranean lens. The Biennale is in Venice, a city of waterways, so this theme will be even more powerful and the perfect setting for her idea. As you walk through the Pavilion you will find multimedia installations, architectural models and digital displays that will show Italy’s coastal heritage in a new way. This sensory journey will bring Italy’s relationship with the sea to life and will make you see Italian architecture in a whole new light.

Guendalina Salimei vision for TERRÆ AQUÆ: The sea as a cultural agent

Salimei’s TERRÆ AQUÆ project will be developed with a multidisciplinary team. From architects and researchers to artists, Salimei is gathering a talented group to help her create this project. Together they will build a space that will feel like a “laboratory of ideas” where visitors can explore the relationship between Italy’s architecture, coastline and natural landscape.

One of the most interesting aspects of her project is the focus on the sea as a cultural agent. Italy’s coastal cities, from the cliffs of Amalfi to the historic ports of Naples and Genoa, have shaped Italian identity for centuries. Through her curation Salimei wants visitors to understand how the sea influences everything from the structure of Italian cities to the daily life of the people who live there. By exploring this theme she hopes to make visitors think about Italy’s coastlines not just as beautiful landscapes but as part of the country’s heritage and future.

As you walk through the pavilion you will be asked to imagine the coast as a living part of Italian culture – a place where architecture, landscape and tradition meet. This focus on Italy’s maritime heritage also addresses a current theme: the need for sustainable architecture that respects and protects natural boundaries and allows cities to adapt to the changing environmental reality.

Guendalina Salimei will curate the Italian Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2025: See in a new way

For architecture lovers TERRÆ AQUÆ will be a must see at the Biennale. Salimei’s work is about sustainable and thoughtful design that respects local communities and natural environments so her project for the Italian Pavilion will be engaging and inspiring. By curating a pavilion about Italy’s coastlines she is asking travelers to see Italy in a new way – to celebrate the beauty and resilience of its architecture against time and change.

Whether you are an architecture lover or a curious traveler the Italian Pavilion will be a must see part of your Venice experience. Imagine walking through an immersive space that celebrates Italian creativity and ingenuity and shows how Italy’s design heritage can adapt to the modern needs.

Venice Biennale 2025: Where Art, architecture and travel meet

For those attending the Venice Biennale TERRÆ AQUÆ is more than an exhibit – it’s an invitation to discover Italy’s sea rooted identity. Guendalina Salimei will curate the Italian Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2025 with the theme “Italy and the intelligence of the sea”. Her project was selected among ten candidates and offers a new perspective on contemporary architecture by exploring Italy’s coastal heritage. The pavilion will feature the work of designers, curators and artists, mixing innovative design with Italian tradition.

TERRÆ AQUÆ will open in May 2025 and if you love travel, culture or architecture you won’t want to miss it. Her team of experts will present Italy’s relationship with the sea as a story of resilience, creativity and intelligence. With the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture Salimei will create a pavilion that will immerse visitors in the world of Italian coastal cities where past and future meet.

The Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2025 will be a must see for anyone who loves travel and culture. It will ask visitors to see Italy in a new way, blending past and future through the lens of sustainability, innovation and respect for tradition. Come ready to explore, to reflect and to fall in love with Italy’s coastal heritage all over again.

Who is Guendalina Salimei?

Guendalina Salimei is an Italian architect and professor, known for her innovative and socially conscious projects. Born in Rome in 1962 she graduated in architecture in 1990 at Sapienza University. She has gained international recognition for her work on major urban transformation projects in Italy and abroad.

Salimei’s work is focused on sustainability and urban regeneration.

As a pioneer among women architects Salimei’s work is celebrated for the combination of aesthetic and functional, a philosophy she will bring to the Italian Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale. Here her innovative approach will explore Italy’s maritime connections and the cultural and environmental meaning of the Mediterranean Sea.

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