Pavilion of Cyprus at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia

May 05, 2023

he University of Nicosia supports the participation of ‘Pavilion of Cyprus’ at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia which will be held during 20 May – 26 November 2023 in Venice, Italy.

How can we take on the first community dwellings of the Cyprus Aceramic Neolithic Khirokitia and use it as a stepping stone to address issues of social sustainability within a humanistic and cultural context, set on a platform towards a newly built environment that will be created on planet Mars? Operating under the premise that social sustainability can be attained through means of collaboration and common awareness, the exhibition aims to activate spaces in a three-dimensional and temporal manner in order to induce values of social and egalitarian participation.

Social sustainability is mainly concerned with the creation and maintenance of the quality of life of people within a society. It gives emphasis to the protection of the psychological and physical health of all people, encourages social cohesion and provides education to people who in turn can contribute to society as a whole and develop relationships within it.

In the prehistoric period, Khirokitia was one of the world’s most innovative cultures. It played a role in the transmission of culture from the Near East to the European world. A Cypriot Neolithic settlement starting around 7500 BC has been an autonomous self-sufficient settlement, an example of social sustainability, politics, economics and environment. It contained the socio-political elements of an egalitarian society, as there is no evidence of warfare, or competition.

A voyage channeled by the stars can take you anywhere… Indeed, this describes the voyage of the early Neolithic travelers from the mainland to the coasts of Cyprus, by these courageous wanderers searching for their future homeland. They have been undeniably successful in their pursuit, as seen from today’s archaeological record; but how about today’s wanderers/scientists/space navigators? Could this specific architectural community provide the leading edge when designing for Mars? May well the primitive paradigm of the Neolithic period model the future of architectural design? Could the new settlers/scientists, in the course using the current knowledge and technology, be sufficiently competent and dexterous, thus successfully bringing to completion a future project of community living on another planet? Will this be the solitary salvation of humankind? Our proposal is taking you through matter, time and space!

Curatorial team

Petros Lapithis, Lia Lapithi, Nikos Kouroussis, Ioanna Ioannou Xiari, Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation. All members of the team are based in Cyprus.

Location: Associazione Culturale Spiazzi, Castello 3865, 30124 Venezia, Italy.