On 8 May, the Latvian pavilion "Landscape of Defence" will open at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. It will focus on the perception of security in the landscape of Latvian borderland, on the experiences of local people at the border with an unpredictable neighbour, and at the same time on the European landscape of defence and Latvia's responsibility in this context.
The creative team behind the exhibition aim to give visitors an insight into life on the Latvian border, allowing them to understand the geographical specificity of the region, as well as to convey the mood of the people in relation to current geo-political developments. The objective of the exhibition is to explain Latvia's position on defence issues to an international audience and to stimulate discussion about the role of architecture and spatial planning in these issues.
The exhibition tells the story through various means of visual expression. At the centre of the exhibition is a group of objects in bright yellow. It depicts both military objects - dragon's teeth, anti-tank hedgehogs - and everyday elements - log benches often found in rural environments, as well as video surveillance devices that characterise the border area - on a 1:1 scale. This contradictory sculptural group is enclosed and defined by a photographic collage of Latvian border landscapes. The pavilion also includes a map illustrating the security measures and their impact on the landscape and peoples everyday lives. The creators of the exhibition hope to provide visitors a human perspective with a short film in which border residents share their experiences, feelings and impressions of life at Europe's external border since it was fortified with fencing and other forms of protective infrastructure.
Already before the opening of the exhibition, its concept had attracted considerable attention from international press and has been featured in the Financial Times, Wallpaper*, Interni, ArchDaily, designboom, The Architect's Newspaper, The Art Newspaper, etc.
The exhibition is accompanied by a printed publication Landscape of Defence, in which internationally renowned Latvian photographer Reinis Hofmanis interprets the border landscape, while the pavilion's curator Liene Jākobsone discusses the meaning of borders in contemporary Latvia and Europe in her essay. Published by Ruby Press, Berlin, the book will be available at the Latvian Pavilion.
The Latvian pavilion “Lanscape of Defence” is curated by Liene Jākobsone un Ilka Ruby, and designed by SIA “Sampling” architects Manten Devriendt, Solvita Kārkliņa, Zane Saulīte-Zvaigzne and SIA “NOMAD architects“ architects Marija Katrīna Dambe and Florian Betat.
Curator Liene Jākobsone - PhD, architect, designer, founding partner of the Riga-based architecture and design studio SAMPLING, senior researcher and director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture at the Art Academy of Latvia. She lectures at various universities of Europe and works on research projects both locally and internationally. In her creative practice, she oversees a range of projects, including building projects, as well as interior, adaptive reuse, exhibition and product design.
Curator Ilka Ruby - Berlin-based curator, author, and co-founder of Ruby Press. She is a frequent lecturer and moderator at architecture discussions and events. As a curator, Ruby has realised a number of exhibitions including Druot, Lacaton & Vassal – Tour Bois le Prêtre, German Architecture Museum DAM; Treasures in Disguise, the pavilion of Montenegro at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition La Biennale Architettura; Never Demolish, Copenhagen Architecture Festival; Together! The New Architecture of the Collective, Vitra Design Museum. In 2020, she was co-curator of Enough is Enough for the Beta 2020 Architecture Biennial in Timisoara, Romania.
The commissioner of the Latvian pavilion is Jānis Dripe, who represents the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
The realisation of the pavilion as well as the rental of the premises at the historic Venetian Arsenale Artiglerie are financed the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, and supported by Tet, Silman, Latvijas Finieris, Arctic Paper, Cewood, Kurši, Labie koki, Labietis, Representation of Flanders Government in Rome, Inženieru grupa Kurbads, Marco Peroni Ingegneria.
The theme of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale — Intelligence. Natural, Artificial.— invites to shape the future by listening to the voice of the global intelligence, to think more broadly about the built and living environment, to experiment by combining different forms of intelligence, in our collective attempt to address the challenges of our times.
With its 2025 national pavilion, Latvia is represented at the Biennale di Venezia already for the 11th time; Latvia takes part in this event since 1002.
Biennale di Venezia is one of the most significant arhitecture exhibitions in Europe and globally. 19th international exhibition will take place from May 10, 2025 until November 23, 2025 (pre-opening on 8th-9th May). More information on the Biennale di Venezia 2025 at www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/2025.