(Photo: Unsplash / Patrick Tomasso)
With each progressing day of summer, especially for the Northern Hemisphere, there are so many exquisite biennales, fairs, and exhibitions in the architecture and design world. Here are five standout events happening this July that promise to inspire and captivate enthusiasts and professionals alike:
1. International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR): Nature of Hope 2024
The 11th edition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) explores the theme "Nature of Hope" through an immersive exhibition at the Nieuwe Instituut. This biennale also features a dynamic Public Program and invites visitors to explore Rotterdam's green spaces and botanical Monuments. Through a rich tapestry of events, including lectures, workshops, and excursions, the Nature of Hope engages with transformative practices in design disciplines, connecting to diverse forms of existing knowledge.
2. I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture
Delve into the monumental legacy of Ieoh Ming Pei (1917-2019) at the first comprehensive retrospective, "I. M. Pei: Pei's career spanning over seven decades, along with his models of major works such as the National Gallery of Art East Building Washington D. C., the modern Grand Louvre, Paris, and the Bank of China Tower Hong Kong, are displayed in this exhibition labeled as - "Life Is Architecture." It was more challenging as Pei's transcultural vision and architectural skills influenced the world's power relations, culture, and city morphology.
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3. New Designers
About to enter its 39th edition, New Designers is one of London's key sites dedicated to promising designers from the United Kingdom. Spanning over two weeks, this event presents strategies for future concepts of fashion, textiles, furniture, product design, and more. New Designers hosts over 3,000 graduates each year, helping to bring fresh ideas to both the trade and the general public.
4. Spatializing Reproductive Justice
"Spatializing Reproductive Justice" embarks on a journey to raise awareness about inequities in reproductive care in the United States. This mobile art show and speaker series engages questions of design in post-Roe America, specifically in terms of reproductive care. Implemented in the form of the student's research and propositions of the fictional initiatives, the project tackles social justice issues such as race, class, and gender determining the poor access to health care. It stimulates the discourse of designers, healthcare professionals, and activists to imagine the inclusive infrastructures of reproductive justice.
5. RA Summer Exhibition
In summer each year, one of Britain's most significant cultural institutions, the Royal Academy of Arts (RA), organizes the Summer Exhibition, which comprises hundreds of sculptures, models, paintings, and prints. This year's event, organized by sculptor Ann Christopher, tracks established and new talent artists, designers, and architects. Some are Yinka Ilori, a fashion and product designer; Michael Craig-Martin, a painter and sculptor; Ibiye Camp, an architect; and Webb Yates Engineers, an engineering firm. The annual and highly anticipated RA Summer Exhibition commenced in 1796, and it remains a fantastic showcase of creativity in art and architecture.
These five events sum up the various developments in the architectural and design world this July. Whether looking at contemporary art fairs in Rotterdam and New York or young talents at New Designers in London, these shows provide unique possibilities to communicate with the concepts and the key people in the sphere.
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