Africa at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale: Decolonising the Future of Design

Venice Biennale 2023: A Historic Moment for African Representation

The 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale has taken a decisive leap by placing African artists and architects at the heart of its global platform. Curated by Lesley Lokko, the theme "The Laboratory of the Future" foregrounds African perspectives in shaping a new architectural imaginary. The exhibition, running until 29 November, features 89 participants—more than half from Africa or the African diaspora.

The V&A installation seeks to complicate the legacy of tropical modernism by centring African narratives. Photo by Andrea Avezzu', La Biennale di Venezia.

Centres of Power Reimagined

This year’s Biennale marks an unprecedented moment of African visibility. From acclaimed figures like Francis Kéré—first African laureate of the Pritzker Prize—to innovators like Olalekan Jeyifous and Mariam Kamara, the showcase spans futuristic visions, architectural reclamation, and speculative storytelling rooted in tradition and resistance.

Serge Attukwei Clottey’s work "Time and Chance" uses yellow plastic gallons to reflect on water access and postcolonial materiality in West Africa.

Architecture as Decolonial and Environmental Praxis

Reflecting on urgent global concerns—decolonisation and decarbonisation—the featured projects offer a layered critique of historical structures and propose inclusive futures. Works such as MASS Design Group’s Afritect explore indigenous languages and local agency as tools of reconstruction.

In “Afritect,” MASS studio members reflect on architectural vocabulary in Rwanda’s national language. Photo by Matteo de Mayda.

A Platform for Collective Reimagining

By amplifying African voices, the 2023 Biennale offers more than visibility—it provides a framework for dialogue, transformation, and futurity. It is a curatorial milestone that challenges the Eurocentric canon while foregrounding the continent’s artistic sovereignty.

Sources

• La Biennale di Venezia – Official Architecture 2023 Page
• Pritzker Architecture Prize – Francis Kéré 2022
• MASS Design Group – Afritect Project

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