Reimagining Colonial Narratives: The UK Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2025

Opening this weekend, the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale presents GBR – Geology of Britannic Repair, an exhibition crafted through the lens of the Rift Valley to interrogate themes of empire, resource extraction, and environmental repair. This forward-thinking display is organised by the British Council and curated by the Nairobi-based practice Cave_bureau, led by architects Kabage Karanja and Stella Mutegi, alongside writer and curator Owen Hopkins and geographer Kathryn Yusoff.

The exhibition's core ambition is to foster a dialogue about reparative relationships in architecture. In a statement reflecting on their project, the curators expressed a desire to prompt critical reflection among visitors, asking "who gets to represent and imagine the world in a time of planetary fire." This question is particularly poignant as contemporary architecture grapples with its colonial past and ecological stewardship.

At the heart of the pavilion's striking design is a neoclassical façade, which is partially concealed by Double Vision, a captivating veil constructed from agricultural waste briquettes and clay and glass beads. These materials, rooted in both Maasai traditions and the historical context of Venetian trade beads, echo the intertwined legacies of extraction and exchange that characterise much of colonial history. This veil serves not merely as an aesthetic element but as an explicit commentary on the histories embedded within architectural practices and materials themselves.

Inside, the exhibition features six thematic installations designed to create a dialogue between the urban landscapes of Nairobi and London. The opening gallery presents an evocative mapping of the night sky as it appeared on 12 December 1963—the day of Kenya’s independence. This poignant connection to the past sets the tone for a narrative steeped in colonial legacy and the ongoing struggle for identity and representation. The second gallery features a bronze cast of a Rift Valley cave, juxtaposed with exposed brickwork, integrating Kenyan and British bricks. This blend of materials and histories encapsulates the complexities of collaboration and cohabitation that mark post-colonial landscapes.

The exhibition also highlights contributions from other international collaborators. The Palestine Regeneration Team showcases Objects of Repair, an installation that contemplates the themes of reuse and reconstruction in Gaza, while Thandi Loewenson's Lumumba’s Grave pays homage to the darker aspects of space debris linked to imperial pursuits. Additionally, a full-scale rattan structure replicates a segment of the Shimoni Slave Caves along Kenya’s coast, an installation developed with the Royal Danish Academy that vividly illustrates the tangible echoes of colonial exploitation.

The final gallery, Vena Cava, crafted by Mae-ling Lokko and Gustavo Crembil, reinterprets Kew's Palm House using innovative materials such as fly ash and bioplastics, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable practices in architectural discourse. This focus on ecological restitution aligns seamlessly with the overarching themes of the biennale, which seeks to address both historical injustices and present-day environmental crises.

British Council director Sevra Davis has noted that the project “brings a new dimension to the British Pavilion,” presenting a fresh perspective on how architecture can be interwoven with the earth’s narratives and realities. By engaging with the intricate histories of colonialism and geological evolution, the exhibition serves as a transformative platform for international dialogue concerning reparative justice in architecture and the environment.

As the UK Pavilion unfolds over the course of the biennale, it promises to challenge conventional narratives and offer a compelling critique of architecture’s role in shaping cultural memory and engagement. The GBR exhibition epitomises the potential of architecture to serve as a medium for change, inviting reflection on both the past and future relations between people and their environments.

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Source: Noah Wire Services