“Non-Extractive Architecture: On Designing Without Depletion” is a new exhibition and research program curated by architect Joseph Grima and design and research firm Space Caviar. The project will run through January 31, 2022, and will analyze contemporary architectural production, seen as the end point of a complex chain of activities, some of which are far removed from the buildings actually constructed, and thus largely overlooked: from the extraction of raw materials to the procurement of labor, from the production of emissions to the final demolition of a structure to be dismantled.
The transformation of Palazzo delle Zattere into an active laboratory in the definition and development of “Non-Extractive Architecture” will be articulated over the course of the year in parallel strands of research, residencies, public programs, and publishing initiatives. The research will influence an evolving exhibition produced on-site by Space Caviar, in collaboration with the ten international candidates participating in the research residency. Alongside the residency initiative, a number of designers will be invited to share new research materials and conduct hands-on workshops within the new laboratory set up at Palazzo delle Zattere. The Palazzo will be activated thanks to a library and publishing and communication stations designed by the art collective N55. Within a cycle of monthly lectures, experts will be invited to participate as guests in the research of “Non-Extractive Architecture”. The program will foster new interdisciplinary networks, record the results, and make them widely available.
V-A-C Foundation is the institution founded by Leonid Mikhelson, head of the multinational gas company Novatek and considered one of the richest people in Russia, with the aim of promoting Russian contemporary art. The Venetian branch in Palazzo delle Zattere, the splendid 17th century building overlooking the Giudecca Canal, is directed by Teresa Iarocci Mavica, a scholar of Russian art and culture. For the desire of internationalization of the Russian institution, a prestigious and very fascinating choice.
Website: www.v-a-c.org
Location: Zattere Palace, Dorsoduro 1401, Venice
Schedule: until January 31, 2022
