An Intellectual African Revolution Comes to the Venice Architecture Biennale
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The Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena, the curator of the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016, was on hand last week for the debut of the Biennale’s 17th edition, participating in a talk held under the auspices of the World Economic Forum. The conversation commemorated the launch of the Davos Baukultur Alliance, a new global initiative from the organization that aims to advance eight core principles it deems essential to a prosperous and sustainable future for humankind. “How to deliver on those principles when there is no money and no time?” the Pritzker Prize winner asked the audience. Answering his own question, he then put the responsibility squarely on his fellow designers, saying, “We must use housing as a tool to overcome poverty.” Backed up by images of his projects, including his celebrated half-built house developments, Aravena’s words were as stirring as ever—only now, their impact felt strangely, eerily different.
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