The Institut Ramon Llull will take the retrospective exhibition to Venice coinciding with its 25th anniversary. The exhibition, currently on display at the Disseny Hub Barcelona, explores 150 years of Catalan architecture.
The Institut Ramon Llull (IRL) has announced that the exhibition 'Seny i rauxa. News of Catalan Architecture' will be showcased in the Catalonia in Venice space during the Venice Architecture Biennale 2027. The exhibition, originally produced by the Barcelona City Council through the Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHub), will be open from May to November 2027 at the Docks Cantieri Cucchini, the same venue that has hosted the Catalan presence at the Biennale since 2012.
A journey through 150 years of Catalan architecture
The exhibition, curated by architects Carme Ribas, Victòria Garriga and Joan Roig, rescues hundreds of pieces from warehouses and archives to provide a continuous view of Catalan architecture from 1875 to the present day. The exhibition questions whether there are traits of historical masters such as Berenguer de Montagut or Pere Blai that resonate in recent projects by Domènech i Montaner, MBM or Harquitectes. Currently, the exhibition can be visited at the Disseny Hub Barcelona until September 6, 2026, as part of Barcelona World Capital of Architecture.
According to the director of the IRL, Anna Guitart, the decision not to open a selection process for the Eventi Collaterali of the Biennale responds to the desire to "reflect with the main agents of the sector to jointly evaluate, along with the local ecosystem, the model of participation in Venice, with the aim of relaunching the open process for the Biennale Architettura 2029."
Support for Catalan architects in the international exhibition
The Institut Ramon Llull will continue to promote the participation of Catalan and Balearic architects in the international exhibition of the Biennale Architettura 2027, which will take place from May 8 to November 21. The artistic directors of the Biennale, Chinese architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, have chosen the theme 'Do Architecture—For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality'. The selection of participants is still pending.
For architecture lovers in Barcelona, this is a unique opportunity to see an exhibition that will then travel to one of the most important global stages. Additionally, the exhibition at the DHub allows visitors to discover pieces that are rarely exhibited, offering a fresh perspective on the architectural evolution of Catalonia. The exhibition will be open until September 6, so those interested still have time to visit it before it moves to Venice.
The Catalan presence at the Venice Biennale has been uninterrupted since 2012, consolidating Catalonia as a reference in the international architectural landscape. With this new edition, the Institut Ramon Llull reaffirms its commitment to the international projection of Catalan architecture, coinciding with its 25th anniversary.
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