The Swiss Pavilion at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale will be curated by architect and urbanist Paola Viganò, whose proposal, developed with StudioPaolaViganò and an interdisciplinary team, delves into water's complex role. Recognizing Switzerland as "Europe's water tower," the exhibition will explore water not merely as a vital resource but as a territorial, ecological, and political condition, examining its influence as a legal entity and a force that sculpts landscapes, infrastructures, and the built environment.
This immersive installation, featuring the central performative work "I am water," integrates design research, artistic elements, and insights from political ecology, science, technology, and law. It highlights pressing issues such as receding glaciers, at-risk dams, hidden rivers, and urban rainwater management to prompt reflection on human coexistence with water systems and the collective responsibilities this entails. The project underscores water's active medium connecting diverse territories, disciplines, and scales, inviting viewers to engage with urgent environmental and architectural discourse.
Water: A Territorial and Ecological Perspective
The upcoming Swiss Pavilion at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale, led by architect Paola Viganò, will present a comprehensive exploration of water's multifaceted influence. Drawing on Switzerland's geographical significance as "Europe's water tower," Viganò's curation, developed alongside StudioPaolaViganò and an expert team, goes beyond viewing water solely as a natural commodity. Instead, it positions water as a fundamental territorial, ecological, and political element, recognizing its profound impact as a legal entity that actively shapes both natural and constructed environments.
This innovative exhibition will unfold as an uninterrupted spatial and thematic experience, centered around the compelling performative piece "I am water." The display integrates rigorous design research, thought-provoking artistic contributions, and interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from political ecology, scientific inquiry, technological advancements, and legal frameworks. By focusing on critical issues like melting glaciers, vulnerable dam structures, concealed waterways, subterranean streams, oxygen-depleted lakes, and the management of urban stormwater, the project offers a series of interpretive lenses. These lenses aim to shed light on the intricate relationships between complex environmental systems and contemporary spatial practices, urging visitors to reconsider their role within these interconnected realities.
Fostering Collective Responsibility Through Architectural Dialogue
The Swiss Pavilion's vision, crafted by Paola Viganò, underscores water's dynamic capacity to link diverse geographical areas, academic disciplines, and scales of intervention. The exhibition encourages a profound reflection on the modalities of coexistence and the shared accountability necessary for navigating our evolving relationship with this essential element. This curatorial approach challenges conventional understandings by presenting water as an active force that demands integrated consideration across various domains, from architecture to public policy.
Viganò's selection follows a rigorous multi-stage competition organized by Pro Helvetia, wherein an international jury unanimously endorsed her forward-thinking proposal. The curatorial team includes Maria Medusheskaya, Etienne Schillers, and Alessio Tamiazzo from StudioPaolaViganò, with additional contributions from Paolo Benettin (UNIL), Loan Laurent (HRC-EPFL), artist Marie Velardi, and collaborators from ESTIA. This collaborative effort builds upon the Swiss Pavilion's historical commitment to engaging with critical spatial narratives and architectural history, as demonstrated by previous exhibitions like "The final form is determined by the architect on site" at the 2025 Biennale. The 20th International Architecture Exhibition, themed "Do Architecture — The Possibility of Coexistence in the Face of Real Reality" by curators Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, will run from May 8 to November 21, 2027, continuing Switzerland's long-standing participation in this prestigious global event.