“Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China” to be staged at “19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia” Top-notch team presents Macao’s multifaceted urban landscape

MACAU, April 29 - Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) and implemented by the Macao Museum of Art, with the support of MGM, the “Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China” will be held from 10 May to 23 November 2025 in Venice, Italy as one of the Collateral Events of the “19^th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia”. The opening ceremony will be held on 9 May, at 1 pm (local time) in the “Exhibition from Macao, China”, showcasing the unique architectural landscapes of Macao to the world.

As one of the most prestigious events on the global architecture scene, this year’s “International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia” is themed “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”, reflecting on the role of architecture in the process of globalization. The “Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China”, jointly curated by Wang Shu, the laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and Lu Wenyu, the recipient of the Schelling Architecture Prize, explores four different “parallel worlds” of Macao through photography and installations to transforms the Macao’s multifaceted urban landscapes into a poetic narrative of architectural language, presenting the urban texture of Macao where Chinese and Western cultures coexist as well as past and present landscapes exist for more than 400 years.

The exhibition invites renowned architectural photographer Iwan Baan, who won the Golden Lion at the La Biennale di Venezia, to capture the fragmented memories and contemporary vitality of Macao’s urban space through his highly narrative visual language. His photographs will also create a dialogue between architectural models and outdoor installations created by professors and students from the School of Architecture in the China Academy of Art and the Department of Architecture and Design at the University of Saint Joseph in Macao, allowing viewers to experience the unique charm of Macao amidst the interplay of history and modernity.

Curators Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu are prominent architects and educators who have dedicated over twenty years to the field of contemporary architecture in China. In 2003, they co-founded the Department of Architecture in the China Academy of Art, focusing on reconstructing research and practice in Chinese contemporary architecture. Wang Shu is currently the Dean of the School of Architecture in the China Academy of Art. He gained international acclaim with the “Tiled Garden” installation for the first China Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, which reflected a contemporary reinterpretation of local culture. Lu Wenyu was a juror for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation and received an Honorary Award from the La Biennale di Venezia. Dutch photographer Iwan Baan is renowned for capturing the life and interactions within architectural spaces. In collaboration with Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, as well as students and professors from the two schools of architecture, they have formed a cross-disciplinary creative team, presenting a vibrant interpretation of cultural diversity for the “Exhibition from Macao, China” of this year’s Biennale. The participation not only showcases Macao’s role as a “One Base” but also conveys Macao’s cultural inclusiveness to the world through architectural language.

The “Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China: 19^th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia” will be held from 10 May to 23 November 2025, at Arsenale, Campo della Tana, Castello 2126/A, 30122, Venice, Italy, and will be closed on Mondays, except on holidays. For more information about the exhibition, please visit the website of the Macao Museum of Art at www.MAM.gov.mo and the “Macao Museum of Art” page on Facebook.