USA Pavilion - Spontaneous Interventions

The U.S. Pavilion at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, organized by the Institute for Urban Design on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is devoted to the theme SpontaneousInterventions: Design Actions for the Common Good. The exhibit features 124 urban interventions initiated by architects, designers, planners, artists, and everyday citizens that bring positive change to their neighborhoods and cities. The selection was narrowed down after a search process that included an open call for projects realized in U.S. cities in recent years, which yielded over 450 submissions. SpontaneousInterventions captures one of the most compelling contemporary urban trends, wherein individuals are taking it upon themselves to create projects that expand the amenities, comfort, functionality, inclusiveness, safety, and sustainability of cities. From parklets to community farms, guerrilla bike lanes to urban repair squads, outdoor living rooms to pop-up markets, sharing networks, and temporary architecture, Spontaneous Interventions highlights viable citizen-led alternatives to traditional top-down urban revitalization tactics. Together, these projects offer an opportunity to examine the history of the American city, painting a critical and dynamic portrait of its most pressing issues today and a vision of its future. At heart, Spontaneous Interventions is a reflection of country’s complex attitudes towards civic participation, social justice, and the built environment. SpontaneousInterventions—curated by Cathy Lang Ho (Commissioner and Curator), David van der Leer, and Ned Cramer (co-curators)—resonates on many levels with the overall theme of the Biennale, conceived by director David Chipperfield, Common Ground. The projects featured in Spontaneous Interventions are characterized by their interest in collaboration, in serving the collective needs of a community, and in improving the literal common ground— public space. The exhibition examines how urban actions that originated as radical ideas have moved ever closer to the center, evolving from subversive tactic to increasingly accepted urban strategy. Commissario/Curatore/Commissioner/Curator: Cathy Lang Ho. Curatori/Curators: Ned Cramer, David van der Leer. Curatori Aggiunti/ Deputy Curators: Paola Antonelli, Anne Guiney, Zoe Ryan, Michael Sorkin. Sede/Venue: Padiglione ai Giardini/Pavilion at Giardini Exhibition Designer: Freecell www.frcll.com Graphic Designer: M-A-D www.madxs.com