Consisting of a total of 200 artists from 58 countries, the Biennale was curated by Cecelia Alemani and is itself entitled “The Milk of Dreams.” The title draws its inspiration from the title of a book by surrealist artist Leona Carrington, which Alemani describes as being an exploration of “a magical world where life is constantly re-envisioned through the prism of imagination.”

Upon exploring the exhibition’s many poignant offerings, it’s easy to see why the imaginative curator landed on the theme. An eclectic mix of eye-openers and statement-making pieces, the often surreal and exploratory pieces of the Biennale speak to its global sensibility and penchant for pushing the envelope (and in some cases, dropping jaws with in-your-face, dreamlike artwork).

Below are some of the most standout pieces on display this year, running the gamut from fantastically nightmarish metamorphic mashups to stark depictions of reality that speak to the horrors of war and the power of resilience:

“We Walked The Earth” by Uffe Isolotto

Occupying the entire Danish Pavilion, Isolotto’s piece is emblematic of this year’s Biennale and its surrealist namesake. Depicting a human/horse hybrid lying prone in the center of a stark, messy interior, the piece evokes the dramas of a transhuman world afflicted by the same cycles of life and death, hope and despair, that connect us all.

“Elephant” by Katharina Fritsch

Larger than life and less fantastical than many of its counterparts, German artist Katharina Fritsch opted for size, grandeur, realism, and attention to detail on this piece. But that doesn’t make it any less impactful. Fritsch is also a co-recipient of the Biennale’s Golden Lion Award for lifetime achievement this year.

“Gyre” by Yunchul Kim

Stunning, silver, and described as “a sprawling body of entanglements” by its creator, this standout in the Korean pavilion is pseudo-realistic — a tangled up knot of fantastic proportions that doesn’t rely on animate objects and their relationship to the world, yet somehow evokes a feeling of movement with its twisty form.

“Brick House” by Simone Leigh

Formerly located in NYC’s High Line in 2019, U.S. artist Simone Leigh’s “Brick House” is a majestic bronze sculpture depicting an imposing figure that’s part Black woman, part house, “registering as a vessel, a dwelling, a space of comfort, and as a site of sanctuary…a Black woman’s body as a site of multiplicity,” says Madeline Weisburg. Leigh has also won a Golden Lion for her monumental and momentous sculpture.

“Untitled” by Raphaela Vogel

Vogel’s contribution was a jaw-dropper for sure — a perfect example of the German artist’s experimental repertoire, which often raises eyebrows with its metaphoric, sometimes metaphysical statements. Here, Vogel went for the shock factor, depicting a large, cartoonish model of a penis being pulled by a fleet of white giraffes, complete with explanatory plates describing various diseases and conditions like erectile dysfunction. Cartoonish? Yes. Shocking? Definitely.

“Piazza Ucrainia” by Boris Filonenko, Lizaveta German, and Maria Lanko

In referring to the Venice Biennale this year, Wallpaper recently said, “Stark reminders of a raging war were never far from sight or mind,” and this is most evident in the centerpiece of the Ukrainian pavilion. A piece created by the pavilion’s curators, this stirring sculpture contains a multitude of stacked sandbags to represent the country’s efforts to protect their art from war damage — a reminder that’s both stirring and symbolic. Other notable Ukrainian offerings include “The Fountain of Exhaustion” by artist Pavlo Makov, which only arrived at the exhibition due to the perilous efforts of curator Maria Lanko to transport the piece beginning on the same day Russia began its attack.

“Valeriia” by JR

Statements and reactions to the war in Ukraine were not limited to the country’s own pavilion. French artist JR presented a large photograph of a young Ukrainian refugee in this statement-maker that puts a human face on the tragedies of war. It’s also been featured on the cover of Time and is part of the ongoing exhibition “This is Ukraine: Defending Freedom.”

“Invitation of the Soft Machine and Her Angry Body Parts” by Jakob Lena Knebl and Ashley Hans Scheirl

A curvy, faceless hybrid that’s equal parts sensual and unrecognizably recognizable, “Invitation…” is another potent representation that’s visceral and colorful, perfectly in keeping with exhibition’s central surrealist theme. Located in the Austrian pavilion, the sculpture is perched above the viewer on a plinth, presented as a figure to be worshipped and admired.

The Venice Biennale 2022 runs from April 23rd through November 22nd, 2022 at the Giardini and the Arsenale.

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Slated for completion in 2024 on the Côte d’Opale in France, Tropicalia features an innovative 115-foot-tall dome tucked into the rolling coastal hills. The glass roof is shrouded on all sides by a ring of exterior greenery, its edges embedded into the ground to create a seamless effect. It’s made of pressurized thermal EFTE air cushions set into an aluminum frame – a design that achieves optimal thermal isolation so the interior can be maintained at a steady 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. The structure will also be able to recycle some of that thermal energy with technology called Therraotherm, siphoning surplus heat into nearby buildings.

Coldefy’s vision addresses the sense of doom that discussions of climate change can bring up for many people. As cities continue to grow and our environment is impacted by the climate crisis, the balance between nature and our built environments can feel precarious and fraught with tension. The Tropicalia exhibition questions the impact of manmade structures in our daily lives and provides an alternative to the unsustainable systems currently failing us. Instead of feeling depressed by all the bad news, we could be working toward new ways of living in harmony with nature.

Tropicalia aims to present an environmental and educational message showing how science can answer the question How will we live together?, itself the title of Biennale 2021.

“A true ‘bubble of harmony,’ it reconnects visitors with the plant and animal world in a region where the climate is often harsh,” says Coldefy. “Tropicalia is a place of discovery, wonder, and awareness, an invitation to dream, travel, and learn. Beyond the exotic interior design, the feeling of immersion is reinforced by the architecture of the greenhouse. The absence of load-bearing posts and the presence of a vegetated peripheral wall accentuate the feeling of a cocoon. The architecture is assimilated to the landscape: the building is partially embedded in the ground, thus reducing its height and impact. From a distance, the greenhouse seems to rise like a slight hill. The height of the dome allows the complete growth of the greenhouse trees, as well as the creation of suspension bridges that will delight the youngest.”

“The visitor will discover the engineering and architectural prowess and uniqueness of Tropicalia greenhouse, which has already received the 2018 Architizer A+Awards Jury and Public Choice Awards Winner,” says Zuecca Projects. “As well, several sustainable and innovative systems and materials developed in the architecture projects by Coldefy will illustrate and enrich the comprehension of Tropicalia’s spirit and Coldefy’s philosophy. During the exhibition period, the space will also host conferences with relevant figures of the architecture world to investigate and discuss about the themes and challenges arisen by Tropicalia.”

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Some cities are so deeply associated with their history, it’s hard to see them as living, evolving places with modern identities. Take Venice, for instance. Italy’s grand canal city is best known for its gondolas, museums, old crafts like glassblowing, and ornate architectural details. So what does “modern Venice” even look like? Just head to Hotel Il Palazzo to find out.

Set in an ancient palazzo off the beaten path in the quiet residential neighborhood of Dorsoduro, Hotel Il Palazzo Experimental is a beautiful study in transmuting all of the essential elements of a city’s core identity into a space that feels fresh and cutting edge. Offering 32 elegantly designed rooms and suites along with a back garden that opens out onto a canal, the hotel is fittingly outfitted considering its proximity to both the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Galleria dell’Accademia art museum.

Designer Dorothée Meilichzon is the mastermind behind the hotel’s chic look. The longer you look around, the more small details you’ll note that reference archetypal elements of Venetian style, starting with all of those signature arches. Home to a spectacular array of Gothic architecture, Venice is awash with arches in a variety of sizes and degrees of ornamentation, like those on the famous Doge’s Palace.

Terrazzo, the composite material consisting of chips of marble, granite, glass, or quartz in a binding material like cement, originated in Venice. So naturally, you’ll see terrazzo everywhere in the Hotel Il Palazzo, from the floors to the sign fixed onto the brick facade outside. There’s plenty of Venetian marble and glass around as well, in addition to luxe textiles like richly colored velvet. In other parts of the hotel, you’ll find stripes referencing the shirts of the gondoliers who navigate the city’s iconic boats through the canals.

But even with all of these references, there’s nothing cheesy or overdone about the design. The hotel still feels warm and welcoming, deeply rooted within its setting and unquestionably unique.

The designers explain: “We have worked on the interior of the hotel and the restaurant using very classical Venetian elements that we love, but also by using more contemporary elements such as tributes to the Memphis movement, [including] bright colors, brushed aluminum, scalloped edges, glass lamps from Luciano Vistosi, Breccia Capraia marbles, pand] arches on [the] bathtub… We have saved as many architectural existing elements as we could from the existing palazzo: the beams, the huge ceiling height on the first floor, the gallery, the amazing gothic windows, [and] the double wooden doors.”

“Elements that are already very strong in terms of identity, we have tried to reinforce with strong Venetian inspirations: symmetrical architecture, marble, many forms of stripes (painted, metal marquetry, fabrics…) “Gothique Fleuri” inspiration, colors from the laguna and from the Venetian facades — and also by using traditional timeless Venetian savoir faire such as black lacquer, traditional cement terrazzo from Venezia, some marmorino, and calce on the walls.”

The hotel also features a large restaurant on the ground floor, with an open kitchen that uses only seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients and a cocktail bar, to boot. Room rates start around €170 including taxes and fees, if you’d like to check it out in person.

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Liquid Light — Flores & Prats

One of the biggest hits among attendees at this year’s biennale was an installation called “Liquid Light” by Spanish architects Flores & Prats. To make this piece, the firm recreated a small section of their theater renovation in Barcelona, seeking to highlight the atmospheric qualities of the actual Sala Beckett by centering their miniature around a high window in the Venetian Arsenal, allowing a large shaft of light to shine through. They also had a vast array of models, drawings, and images on display to give viewers a glimpse into their design process and research.

Folding Landscape/East and West — O’Donnell + Tuomey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgU_r8owzDw
Irish architecture practice O’Donnell + Tuomey brought their characteristically considered approach to their Biennale installation. Entitled “Folding Landscape/East and West,” the planar white construction merged two of the firm’s projects (one in China and one in Ireland) that already shared and mirrored certain aspects of each other. Ultimately, they were evoked in a single built form inside the Arsenal.

Star Apartments — Michael Maltzan Architecture

One of the most interesting installations in the Central Pavilion of the Giardini is a recreation of a social housing project in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles entitled “Star Apartments.” More specifically, the installation consists of a large overview model of the complex in question, bold wallpaper with a block-by-block depiction of the neighborhood (with the firm’s projects in the area highlighted in greater detail), and detailed models of the interiors of the housing units, showing spectators how the inhabitants have truly made the apartments their own.

Vo De Jour — Eduardo Souto de Moura

Winner of the Biennale’s Golden Lion for Best Project on Show was renowned Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura for “Vo De Jour.” The simplicity of Souto de Moura’s installation was one of the most impressive strategies in the entire Arsenal, showcasing two aerial shots side-by-side. One picture was of a farm site before its conversion into a hotel by the architect, while the other was of the aftermath. The differences in the images are extremely minute, emphasizing how small in scale the interventions actually were. The installation was judged to have “reveal[ed] the essential relationship between architecture, time, and place.”

Svizzera 240: House Tour — Marianne Burki et al.

Winner of the Biennale’s Golden Lion for the best curated project was a Swiss pavilion by a team consisting of Marianne Burki, Sandi Paucic, Rachele Giudici Legittimo, Alessandro Bosshard, Li Tavor, Matthew van der Ploeg, and Ani Vihervaara. “Svizzera 240: House Tour” consists of a domestic house whose interiors were equipped with standard fittings for new-build apartments and houses but whose scale swung from macro to micro, either dwarfing visitors by the huge height of its countertops and door handles or making them feel like giants as they dipped their heads to duck into disconcertingly low spaces.

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