Hashim Sarkis to Direct 2020 Venice Architecture Biennale
John Hill
19. december 2018
Hashim Sarkis (Photo: Bryce Vickmark)
The Board of La Biennale di Venezia, with the recommendation of President Paolo Baratta, has appointed Hashim Sarkis as curator of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition to be held in 2020.
Sarkis is principal at Hashim Sarkis Studios (HSS), which he established in 1998 and has offices in Boston and Beirut. HSS has realized projects on both sides of the Atlantic, but most well known is the Byblos Town Hall in Lebanon. Since 2015, Sarkis has served as Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Sarkis's appointment to direct the 2020 Venice Architecture Biennale follows Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, whose FREESPACE exhibition wrapped up its six-month run at the end of November (a complete list of previous architecture curators is at bottom).
Although Sarkis's theme for the exhibition is to be determined, Baratta said in a statement: "With Hashim Sarkis, La Biennale has provided itself with a Curator who is particularly aware of the topics and criticalities which the various contrasting realities of today's society pose for our living space."
Sarkis echoed the sentiment, "The world is putting new challenges in front of architecture. I look forward to working with participating architects from around the world to imagine together how we are going to rise to these challenges."
The 2020 Venice Architecture Biennale will take place 23 May to 29 November 2020.
A list of the previous curators of the Venice Architecture Biennale:
- 2018 (16th International Architecture Exhibition): Yvonne Farrell, Shelley McNamara
- 2016 (15th International Architecture Exhibition): Alejandro Aravena
- 2014 (14th International Architecture Exhibition): Rem Koolhaas
- 2012 (13th International Architecture Exhibition): David Chipperfield
- 2010 (12th International Architecture Exhibition): Kazuyo Sejima
- 2008 (11th International Architecture Exhbition): Aaron Betsky
- 2006 (10th International Architecture Exhbition): Richard Burdett
- 2004 (9th International Architecture Exhbition): Kurt W. Foster
- 2002 (8th International Architecture Exhbition): Deyan Sudjic
- 2000 (7th International Architecture Exhbition): Massimiliano Fuksas
- 1996 (6th International Architecture Exhbition): Hans Hollein
- 1991 (5th International Architecture Exhbition): Francesco Dal Co
- 1986 (4th International Architecture Exhbition): Aldo Rossi
- 1985 (3rd International Architecture Exhbition): Aldo Rossi
- 1982 (2nd International Architecture Exhbition): Paolo Portoghesi
- 1980 (1st International Architecture Exhbition): Paolo Portoghesi