OPEN CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS FOR THE ALBANIAN PAVILION AT

THE 20 th INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITION

Biennale Architettura 2027
Venice, 8 May to 21 November 2027
(pre-opening on 6 and 7 May)

In the framework of the 20 th Venice Architecture Biennale to be held in Venice, Italy, the Albanian Ministry
of Tourism, Culture and Sports, as the Commissioner of the Albanian Pavilion, is seeking expressions of
interest for project proposals for the exhibition at the Albanian Pavilion, which will take place from 08 May
to 21 November 2027 (pre-opening 6 and 7 May) at the Giardini, the Arsenale and various venues in Venice.
Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, is appointed as the Curator of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition.
The title of the Biennale is “Do Architecture — For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real
Reality.”
The theme places architecture as a concrete practice at its centre, grounded in places, materials,
craftsmanship and communities. It explores possibilities for coexistence between nature and the built
environment, memory and innovation, local practices and contemporary construction, and cultural heritage
preservation and social transformation.
Within this framework, the Open Call invites proposals grounded in research and careful observation of
Albania’s architecture, territory and society. Proposals should reveal the knowledge, actions and practices
through which the environment in Albania is built, inhabited, adapted, repaired and transformed, offering an
original interpretation of the Biennale’s overarching theme.
The guiding question for the development of proposals is:
What knowledge and practices already exist in Albania about how to build, inhabit, adapt, repair and
create possibilities for coexistence?
To guide applicants, the Open Call proposes five lines of inquiry:
1. WAYS OF MAKING
How is Albania built, and through which materials, techniques, skills, actors and forms of knowledge? This
line of inquiry invites exploration of the actual processes of construction, from traditional craftsmanship to
contemporary practices and technologies. Proposals may focus on local materials, the work of craftspeople
and construction workers, their relationships with designers and engineers, and the transfer of skills between
generations.
2. MAKING WITH WHAT EXISTS
How can we work with inherited buildings, materials, landscapes and memories? This line of inquiry
addresses reuse, repair, adaptation, revitalisation and transformation of what already exists. Proposals may
explore abandoned buildings, industrial or military structures, unfinished houses, villages, infrastructure and
existing ways of using space, examining opportunities for continuity and new uses.
3. LAND AS ARCHITECTURE
How is Albania’s territory shaped, and how can it be designed and cared for? This line of inquiry extends
beyond individual buildings to encompass landscape, agriculture, water, infrastructure, settlements and
tourism. It focuses on the relationship between construction and land, and on how territorial interventions
affect nature, communities and the connections between urban and rural areas.
4. EVERYDAY ARCHITECTURE
What can architecture learn from how people in Albania actually build, adapt and inhabit space? This line of
inquiry invites examination of everyday life, self-building, informal transformations, migration and
changing housing needs. Proposals may address how individuals and families alter their homes, use spaces
between buildings and adapt their surroundings to their needs.
5. BUILDING TOGETHER
How can architecture support ways of living together? This line of inquiry addresses the participation of

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communities, public institutions, designers, builders and users in creating and caring for shared places.
Proposals may explore public space, housing, shared resources, community infrastructure and forms of
collective decision-making and action.
These five lines of inquiry are offered as points of departure and are neither mandatory nor
exhaustive. Applicants may engage with one or several of them, explore their intersections, or propose
another direction, clearly demonstrating its relationship to the Albanian context and the Biennale’s
overarching theme.
Each proposal should articulate a clear and original curatorial position and explain how it will be translated
into an exhibition experience for the Albanian Pavilion. It should identify the spatial, material and visual
means through which the idea will be communicated to the wider public and professionals, and present a
feasible approach to its development and implementation.
The Open Call aims to identify a curatorial proposition that brings knowledge, experiences and practices
from the Albanian context to international attention, contributing to the discussion of architecture as action
and as a possibility for coexistence.
For further information on the theme and the edition, please visit the official website of the Venice
Architecture Biennale 2027.
The profile of the candidates:
– We are looking for a multidisciplinary exhibition team (composed of architect(s) (team leader),
artists, graphic designer(s), art critics, craftspeople, urban sociologist, urban planner, which:
– Demonstrate to have knowledge about Albanian architecture and international architecture
– Have national and /or international experience in the field of architecture, sustainable
architecture, urbanism and landscape which will be proven by respective portfolios.
– This call is open to any nationality.
The candidate(s) should be able to:
– Conduct research and develop an integrated curatorial design project idea accompanied by
a coherent curatorial narrative
– Develop an integrated curatorial project idea for the Albanian Pavilion, along with the
producing and/or sourcing the exhibition content such as: photography, installations,
written materials for exhibition panels and any other related texts.
– To create a cultural programme composed by cultural side events which will be organized
during the days the exhibition will be opened for the public
– -To implement and manage the whole project successfully.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports, encourages all candidates to co-operate with
national and/or foreign curators who have the appropriate experience in organizing and
participating in similar events.

SELECTION WILL BE DONE IN TWO PHASES:

Phase 1: In this stage the best project ideas will be selected. Deadline: This phase will be open
from October 9, 2026 to November 09, 2026, 24:00.
The Jury will select 3 (three) project ideas which will be qualified for the second phase.
The Jury will announce the best three projects ideas by November 16, 2026.
Phase 2: The three selected teams will be invited to work up a fully detailed exhibition project,
which will be presented to the Jury. These detailed exhibition projects should be submitted by the
latest 12.00 PM on December 20, 2026.

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The Jury will announce the criteria for the detailed project proposal immediately after the
announcement of the shortlist of three teams.
The announcement of the winning project: December 21-24, 2026.

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THE SELECTION PROCEDURE
The project ideas and the detailed project proposals will be evaluated by an international Jury
composed of 5 members. The evaluation of the Jury will judge proposals on the basis of:
– Clarity of the project proposal
– Imaginative quality of the concept
– Potential of the project idea to communicate with the public
– Clarity of the theme and the potential for making it communicable, tangible and visible to
the audience.
– Artistic and visual strength of the project proposal and its capacity to be translated into a
strong visual language and landscape
– Strength of the team/studio to reflect in a broad and deep sense on the given theme and to
bring ways to add to the knowledge
– Capacity and experience of communicating architecture to the critics and the public alike,
and of developing new audiences for architecture.

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR THE FIRST PHASE

The application should include:
– The application form (download it here)
A clearly articulated summary on how the project will relate to the theme “Do Architecture — For
the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality.”
– (not more than 1000 words)
– Method of investigation and anticipated findings, and how this will come into existence by
means of reflection and creation
– Image(s) that illustrate the exhibition proposal, setting, etc.
– Portfolios of previous works of the team/studio
– CV's of the members of the team and its leader (not more than one page)
The candidates are free to choose whichever means and forms of introducing their project
proposals. They are kindly invited to follow the guidelines provided by the Curators of the
Biennale which can be found at http://www.labiennale.org

Technical Details on the Albanian Pavilion

The Albanian Pavilion will be situated in “Arsenale”. You will find the plan and relevant photos
here
Submission of application:
The complete application should be:
1. Prepared in two languages: Albanian and English
Sent by mail (printed and in digital form) the following address: Ministry of Tourism, Culture and
Sports, Rruga Aleksandër Moisiu, nr 76, ish Kinostudio “Shqipëria e Re” Tiranë, e-mail: Sent
electronically to the e-mail address: biennale2027@mtks.gov.al
2. Submitted no later than November 09, 2026, 24.00 hrs (Phase 1)