Attend The 17th Annual Venice Biennale This Summer

It’s time for the 17th annual Venice Biennale! May 22nd through November 21st 2021, the Biennale Architettura explores the theme “How Will We Live Together?” can be attended in Venice, Giardini, and Arsenale. The Biennale features international architecture and is curated by Lebanese architect Hashim Sarkisand.

“We need a new spatial contract. In the context of widening political divides and growing economic inequalities, we call on architects to imagine spaces in which we can generously live together”

Hashim Sarkisand

Architectural photographer Francesco Russo spent two days at the Biennale’s pre-opening doing press coverage, shooting until 7pm, and then editing and delivering the images the same day. He shares “The first day I delivered at 5am! It was pretty crazy!”

Francesco continues “The show is divided into two main areas, Giardini with 28 national pavilions and Arsenale with a number of installations by architects and designers from all over the world plus other minor national pavilions.

The nature of the commission didn’t allow the usual polished look for traditional architectural photography, and the size of the show required a much faster approach in order to cover all the installations. I went there with minimal kit — one camera, 2 zoom lenses, batteries, backpack, and nothing else. No tripod, no shift lenses, no tethering system. The result is a spontaneous, documentary kind of style.

I focussed on the interaction between the architecture and the visitors, which is something I like doing in my architectural photography anyway. The interaction quite often – sadly – is resolved through a mobile screen. It was quite a challenge trying to capture people doing something different from taking phone shots.”

If you love architecture and are able to make your way to Venice this summer, you can grab your Biennale Architettura 2021 tickets here.