Romanian Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia presents HUMAN SCALE, an exhibition and research initiative that explores the intersection of architecture and visual arts. Curated by Cosmina Goagea, the project brings together the work of contemporary artist Vlad Nancă and architecture duo Muromuro Studio. On view at both the Romanian Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale and the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice, the exhibition explores how architectural representations not only shape but also convey collective ideas and social aspirations.
HUMAN SCALE examines architectural drawing as a medium that encapsulates various forms of intelligence: conceptual, technological, artistic, historical, and emotional. By placing a selection of 20th-century Romanian architectural drawings in conversation with life-size sculptural works by Vlad Nancă, the exhibition invites new readings of architectural heritage and its relationship to the human figure. Since 2017, Vlad Nancă has developed a body of work situated between sculpture and drawing, focusing on the scale of figures commonly found in architectural representations. By enlarging these figures to human scale, Nancă emphasizes the often-overlooked presence of people in architectural discourse, transforming them into central elements of spatial interpretation.
The curatorial approach highlights the concept of "Collective Intelligence," suggesting that the recurring human figures present in architectural renderings can be reinterpreted as tools for rethinking the built environment. Cosmina Goagea, curator of the pavilion, notes that revisiting these visual cues may offer insights into adapting 20th-century architecture for contemporary use while fostering more humane and equitable relationships with existing structures and their surroundings. Within the pavilion, visitors encounter a chronological selection of architectural drawings that trace Romania's architectural evolution across the 20th century. These works mark key historical moments, ideological shifts, and architectural schools of thought. In parallel, Nancă presents ten sculptural silhouettes derived from these drawings, recontextualized within an installation designed by Muromuro Studio. These figures function as interpretive tools, encouraging visitors to reflect on the human as a constant in architectural practice.
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Humans are the unifying element in architectural drawings, transcending time. By looking at how people are drawn throughout the 20th century, we hope to underline their relevance and centrality to architecture in the 21st century, challenging visitors to look at our built environment in a different way and think about how architecture works for the people. - Artist Vlad Nancă
The exhibition extends beyond the Pavilion into the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research, which functions as a complementary space for research and engagement. Here, HUMAN SCALE presents the documentary foundation of the project through an extensive archive of 20th-century Romanian architectural drawings. The gallery layout is organized to encourage interaction and exploration: a central study table is positioned between two pillars, one housing the archive and the other offering a chronological, decade-by-decade overview. Ten enclosed metal frames, hinged around a central support, display key works in sequential order, while a circular library area invites visitors to browse over 300 reproduced drawings stored in custom folders. Together with the main installation, this research space reinforces the exhibition's thematic focus on architectural representation, human presence, and the evolving interpretation of built heritage across time.
The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will be open to visitors until November 23. This year's edition brings together over 300 contributions from more than 750 participants across generations and disciplines, and hosts a total of 65 national pavilions. Serbian Pavilion titled "Unraveling: New Spaces," explores circular design with a broad woven wool fabric installation, Croatian Pavilion presents "Intelligence of Errors", an artistic and research-driven project that repositions spatial and policy-related errors as generative tools for design, and the Estonian pavilion questions massive insulation projects through a façade installation.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Venice Biennale.
