The Organizing Committee of Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Shenzhen) (“UABB”) announced the team of Chief Curators of 2019 UABB, which includes Architect and Director of MIT Senseable City Lab Carlo Ratti, CAE Academician Meng Jianmin and famous curator and art critic Fabio Cavallucci.
In addition to the three Chief Curators, the South China-Torino Collaboration Lab (a joint research center of Politecnico di Torino and South China University of Technology) will join as Academic Curator in the persons of Directors Sun Yimin and Michele Bonino.
The Science and Human Imagination Research Center of Southern University of Science and Technology, in the person of Wu Yan and the Politecnico di Milano, in the person of the Vice–Dean of the School of Architecture Adalberto Del Bo will take part into the curatorial team as Co-Curators.
Integrating the top energy from such fields as urbanism, architecture, technology, contemporary art and science fiction, the curatorial team of 2019 UABB represents a remarkable cross-disciplinary combination that aims to present a highly pioneering and inspiring biennale. Carlo Ratti is the director of MIT Senseable City Lab which explores “new technologies’ impact on global urban life and design.” He is also a founding partner of the world’s leading international design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati. He visited the first UABB in 2005 at the invitation of then Curator Yung Ho Chung and has been following the biennale ever after. Meng Jianmin is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Chinese Architectural Design Master, and Chief Architect of Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co. Ltd. He is also one of the initiators for the first UABB and has served several times at the Academic Committee. Fabio Cavallucci, one of the most important contemporary art critics and curators worldwide, has directed multiple European contemporary art centers and coordinated such world-renowned biennales as the European Biennial of Contemporary Art (Manifesta). He holds a keen interest in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta Region for many years.
The theme direction of 2019 UABB is “Urban Space + Technological Innovation.” Shenzhen’s unique geopolitical status, rapid urbanization process and excellence in technological innovation have made it one of the most ideal carriers for discussing topics as city, technology and future. 2019 UABB will explore the new phenomena brought about by digital revolution that has unfolded in parallel with the urbanization process, and directly confront the most relevant key topics in today’s cities. Taking the attention to “people” as an important premise, it will reflect on urbanism and architecture in ways beyond physical boundaries, and discuss how human could take more initiative to be the true subject of technological cities. The biennale will focus on the improvement of urban experiences as result of modern science and technology; meanwhile conduct a critical rethinking on the institutional constraints thus caused.
Thinkers and practitioners from different cultural fields and different disciplinary backgrounds will meet and produce multi-perspective and creative works. It is tentatively decided that Liu Cixin, science fiction writer and the author of The Three-Body Problem, Polish writer Wlodek Goldkorn, and China’s important contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang will join 2019 UABB.
With seven editions already launched, UABB has made itself a global open platform of the Pearl River Delta for innovation and a popular cultural event for the general public. The 8th UABB will open in December 2019. Details as the theme, venue and exhibition period will be announced at the first press conference scheduled in early 2019. Stay tuned.
Chief Curators
Carlo Ratti, Meng Jianmin, Fabio Cavallucci
Academic Curator
South China-Torino Collaboration Lab (SCUT - Sun Yimin; Politecnico di Torino - Michele Bonino)
Co-Curators
Science and Human Imagination Center of Southern University of Science and Technology (Wu Yan), Politecnico di Milano (Adalberto Del Bo).
Executive Curators
Daniele Belleri [CRA], Edoardo Bruno, Chen Qiufan, Manuela Lietti, Wang Kuan, Xu Haohao, Zhang Li
