“Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China” to be staged at “19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia” presents Macao’s multifaceted urban landscape
Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and implemented by the Macao Museum of Art, with the support of MGM, the “Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China” will be held from 10 May to 23 November 2025 in Venice, Italy as one of the Collateral Events of the “19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia”. The opening ceremony will be held on 9 May, at 1 pm (local time) in the “Exhibition from Macao, China”, showcasing the unique architectural landscapes of Macao to the world.
As one of the most prestigious events on the global architecture scene, this year’s “International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia” is themed “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”, reflecting on the role of architecture in the process of globalization. The “Parallel Worlds, Exhibition from Macao, China”, jointly curated by Wang Shu, the laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and Lu Wenyu, the recipient of the Schelling Architecture Prize, explores four different “parallel worlds” of Macao through photography and installations to transforms the Macao’s multifaceted urban landscapes into a poetic narrative of architectural language, presenting the urban texture of Macao where Chinese and Western cultures coexist as well as past and present landscapes exist for more than 400 years.
The exhibition invites renowned photographer Iwan Baan, who won the Golden Lion at the La Biennale di Venezia, to capture the fragmented memories and contemporary vitality of Macao’s urban space through his highly narrative visual language. His photographs will also create a dialogue between architectural models and outdoor installations created by professors and students from the School of Architecture in the China Academy of Art and the Department of Architecture and Design at the University of Saint Joseph in Macao, allowing viewers to experience the unique charm of Macao amidst the interplay of history and modernity.