A "common, everyday, and collective" space is the goal set by the curatorial team of the upcoming 2019 Chilean Architecture and Urbanism Biennial. This was announced during the official launch last Thursday, November 8, at the headquarters of the Architects Association of Chile (Colegio de Arquitectos) in Santiago.
The first edition of the Biennial to be held in Santiago since 2013—the last two editions took place in Valparaíso—will be located in the traditional Franklin neighborhood of the Santiago commune, a historic sector of the capital currently undergoing urban transformation driven by real estate pressure, commercial reconversion, and historic preservation.
With planned activities in 12 cities across Chile, the event—dubbed the Architecture Open-Air Market (Feria Libre de Arquitectura)—will showcase from October 3 to 27, 2019, the results of the upcoming open calls targeting "professional and academic work from both a practical and theoretical perspective that expresses this commitment to the common, the domestic, and the collective through built works, projects, publications, and research."
The Biennial's outdoor exhibition will be deployed throughout the neighborhood using a series of mobile carts, the first prototype of which was presented at the launch. Unlike recent editions, the indoor exhibitions will be organized across different venues, centered in the main warehouse of Matadero Franklin, "whose interiors will function as a flexible fair space where the carts can come and go, activating and deactivating in different ways according to the schedule of the Architecture Open-Air Market. Furthermore, the exhibitions inside the warehouses will adopt the neighborhood's visual codes: projects will not be displayed on traditional boards with blueprints, but on poster-paper banners alongside raw-material models and samples mounted on mobile supports, embracing the aesthetics of substitution and immediacy as a core value," the association's press release explains.
In statements gathered by the Architects Association, the mayor of Santiago, Felipe Alessandri, noted that "the next Architecture Biennial will, for the first time, place the Franklin neighborhood—and specifically the Matadero—at the center of the discussion for urban planners, architects, and the general community. This is a place that is no longer just a commercial hub; we are promoting and transforming it to also become a cultural and gastronomic center."
Meanwhile, Olimpia Nadales, President of the Matadero Franklin Market Administration Committee, expressed: "This is a unique opportunity for the Matadero Franklin neighborhood to open up to the world and engage with the architectural art that surrounds us every day. Additionally, it is closely tied to my family because one of my daughters is studying architecture. I am proud to be one of the people contributing a grain of sand to this major event."
For his part, Humberto Eliash, President of the Architects Association, commented that "this Architecture Open-Air Market is a major step toward making this a cultural hub as well [...] The curatorial team is top-tier, and we are sure there will be a before and after following this Biennial."
The XXI Chilean Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, Architecture Open-Air Market, is presented by the Architects Association of Chile (Colegio de Arquitectos) through the Fundación Espacio y Desarrollo, the Municipality of Santiago, and the Matadero Franklin Market Administration Committee.
The launch was the first public event of the XXI Chilean Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism following the announcement of the winning curatorial team last September: Beatriz Coeffé, Vesna Obilinovic, Joaquín González, Juan Pablo Urrutia, and Tomás Villalón.
Via Colegio de Arquitectos.
This article was written by Nicolás Valencia. The translation is powered by AI.
