The team comprising Alexis Olivares Valencia, an architecture graduate from the Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (UTEM), and Gonzalo Mazzey, a student at the same institution, won first place in the "A Bench in Venice" competition with their project titled “La Banca del Mundo” (The World's Bench). Within the framework of the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, the National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates curated by Wael Al Awar, in collaboration with the Curators Collective, launched an international open call for students. The competition challenged participants to design a bench made from recycled materials, which will be installed during the upcoming summer inside the Arsenale.
The proposal focuses on reusing fragments and materials discarded after previous exhibitions, aiming to create a meeting space that, across its 35-meter length, successfully gives a new useful life to these single-use elements. The construction of this space not only creates a gathering point for visitors from diverse backgrounds, but also establishes a medium capable of disrupting the cycles of obsolescence inherent to the nature of biennials.
Inspired by the cosmopolitan nature of the biennale, the name "La Banca del Mundo" evokes an intentional breadth where different themes converge and dialogue simultaneously. This single element aims to recycle all the disposable materials produced during the Venice Biennale 2021. Furthermore, the winning project's replicability suggests an infinite extension capable of bringing together the diverse countries and cultures it references.
This gesture also represents a critical and proactive approach to the exhibition format, while serving as a social laboratory to test and challenge the dynamics of social distancing that define daily life during the pandemic. “La Banca del Mundo” is a simple and playful intervention—“an invitation to gather and to be alone.”
This article was written by Luciana Truffa. The translation is powered by AI.
