The 18th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition – Hong Kong Exhibition and Response Exhibition
 

TRANSFORMATIVE HONG KONG : LABORATORY OF THE FUTURE

INTRODUCTION

The Hong Kong Exhibition curatorial framework “Transformative Hong Kong” has been developed in response to the 18^th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition’s main theme ‘Laboratory of The Future’. The exhibition is envisioned as form of visual dialogues between the institutions with new policies driving the next phase of development and creative community responding to the challenge through design research and interventions. Selected works and ideas will form part the Hong Kong Exhibition at the 18^th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition (‘VB 2023’) in Venice from May to November 2023. We invite individuals / teams to participate in the exhibition under one of following three categories:

1.0         Territorial Transformations:

Academics / Researchers specialized in the field of “Territorial Planning”, “Rural Countryside Conservations”, “Infrastructure Planning and Resource Management”, “Social Innovation” and “Belt and Road” to share their research output.

2.0         Architectural Transformations:

Architectural Offices, Studios or Individuals promoting innovative architectural practice to share their unique methodologies on new Construction Technology such as Sustainable Material Research, ACT (Advanced Construction Technologies), MIC (Modular Integrated Construction), Integration of Digital Fabrication and AI Powered Analytical Tools in design creation, Multidisciplinary practice addressing the issues of sustainability and ecology, and Participatory Driven Design.

2.1         Architectural Transformation (Courtyard Intervention):

Under this category, we are separately seeking instructor/s to manage and lead the workshop involving young practices / practitioners or NGO / academics to design and build small scale pavilion structures within the open courtyard through collaborations.

3.0         Public Space Transformations:

Artists, designers, filmmakers, photographers interested in sharing their visual representation of Hong Kong in transformation with focused themes on Social Innovation, Sustainability, Climate Change and Hong Kong’s relationship with mainland China.

CURATORIAL STATEMENT SUMMARY (refer to Appendix 1 for full statement):

The city is created through social process whereby its characteristic reflects the people’s lifestyle, culture, socio-economic framework, and value. Even after significant urban metamorphosis in the last fifty years with almost three-fold the population growth, Hong Kong appears to be on the brink of yet another transformative moment in time with various territorial scale projects in planning or implementation phases, and new policies driving the next phase of development. Today’s increasingly complex built environment and social needs require multifaceted approach, Architectural practice in the Contemporary Era is increasingly multidisciplinary in nature covering diverse range of professional services forming collaboration as integral part of the process. While the 4th Industrial Revolution is having wide impact and transforming the fabric of our society, many institutions and creative community in Hong Kong are also evolving and working together while using the city as our "laboratory + workshop" in which we collaborate and create innovative solutions to meet the challenges of future. Setting the framework for the exhibition in context, it will use three contrasting scales “Territorial Transformations”, “Architectural Transformations” and “Public Space Transformations” with its respective perspectives and lens. Even though the complexity and depth of the subjects extends far beyond the scope of this exhibition, and a fluid transitional phase is often difficult to crystalize or capture, nevertheless the exhibition will introduce to the international and local audiences a unique insight into selected critical urban issues facing Hong Kong in near future through interactive mixed media representations and visual essays a snapshot of this transformative moment in our city with focused themes on Hong Kong’s relationship to mainland China, Sustainability, Climate change, Technology and Energy / Resource Management: 

ELIGIBILITY

-  Members of HKIA or registered architects (both local and international)
-  Architecture students from school accredited by HKIA or internationally.
-  Artists, corporations & NGOs involve in built environment of Hong Kong.

SUBMISSION NOTES

• Exhibitors can be a team, organization or individuals. Team and corporation entry will need to designate a team leader for point of contact.  
• Exhibitors should identify their interests and choose to enter as one of the 3 categories from the list above,
  1.0 Territorial Transformations, 2.0 Architectural Transformations or 3.0 Public Space Transformations.
• Exhibitors will not need to select the exact location for their proposed exhibits.
• Each Team is required to further develop their individual proposal (as submitted in Appendix 4), in dialogue with the curators
• Exhibitors will need to present their proposals / ideas to the Curator in an interim discussion. Final exhibit proposal is subject to Curator’s approval in early January 2023.
• Selected exhibitors will attend at least one of the forums to be held in Hong Kong.

FEE AND COST

• No submission fee is required.
• Selected exhibitors will be responsible for the making / development of their exhibit contents at their own cost
• The Organizers will be responsible for the shipment of exhibits from Hong Kong to Venice, and from Venice to Hong Kong

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT

1. ONE A4 Document (vertical):
   Fill in the form of Appendix 3 and attached with CVs of all team members.
   Submission format: Word (.doc) and PDF
    
2. ONE A3 page (horizontal):
   Follow the submission layout of Appendix 4 which includes
   - a design statement with max. 150 words, and
   - for model submission: an axonometric drawing illustrating the proposed model; proposed materials for the model and other related images/ drawings, or
   - for video submission: a key concept sketch/ image, and other related images/ drawings
   Submission format: PDF (Please do not include any personal information in this A3 submission.)

Electronic Submission:
Proposal with subject marked ‘Venice Biennale 2023 – Call for Exhibitors’ to email vb2023@hkia.org.hk 

Deadline for Exhibitor Proposal Submission:
End of 11^th January 2023

Registration for Briefing Session:
A briefing session for potential candidates will be held on early January 2023 at HKIA Premises, 19/F, One Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong or on Zoom. Please email name(s) and contact number(s) and email address(es) with an email subject 'Registration for VB 2023 Call for Exhibitors Briefing Session' to vb2023@hkia.org.hk and kentsang@hkia.org.hk should you be interested in attending.

For curatorial enquiries, please email vb2023@hkia.org.hk 

For general administrative enquiries, please contact:
HKIA Secretariat Ms. Elisa CHAN / Mr. Ken TSANG
Tel: 3155 0405 or 2511 6323

For enquiries, please email to vb2023@hkia.org.hk 

JUDGING PANEL
VB 2023 Curatorial Team and Steering Committee

Result Announcement
Selected exhibitors will be notified via email and phone in the 2^nd week of January 2023
Exhibition Dates:  20 May 2023 – 26 November 2023
Exhibition Venue: Campo della Tana, Castello 2126 - 30122 Venezia
Opening hours:  10am – 6pm (10am – 8pm on Fridays)
A response exhibition will be held in Hong Kong in the 1^st quarter of 2024
Venice Biennale Official Exhibition website: https://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/2023

Organizers
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation
Hong Kong Arts Development Council

Partner
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects

Lead Sponsor
Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Curatorial Team

   Sarah Lee
Hendrik Tieben
Yutaka Yano

Enquiry: vb2023@hkia.org.hk 

Disclaimer: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

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