From May 10 to November 23, 2025, during the 19th Venice Biennale of Architecture, the Brazilian National Pavilion took center stage with its exhibition titled “(Re)INVENTION”. Curated jointly by Luciana Saboia, Edel Alencar, and Matheus Seco from the curatorial team Plano Coletivo, the exhibition deeply aligns with the biennale’s core theme of “Intelligens: Natural, Artificial, Collective.” It redefines the concept of “infrastructure” from a multidisciplinary perspective, offering solutions to address the social and environmental contradictions faced by contemporary cities.
As one of the 65 national pavilions at this year’s biennale, the Brazilian Pavilion centers on the core thread of “connecting the indigenous knowledge of the Amazon with contemporary design strategies.” The exhibition is divided into two chapters, housed in separate halls of the national pavilion, creating a narrative structure that fosters a dialogue between the past and the present. The first chapter focuses on revisiting archaeological discoveries, systematically presenting the survival wisdom of the Amazon’s indigenous peoples from over 10,000 years ago. By proactively shaping the landscape, these communities built complex infrastructure systems that coexisted harmoniously with nature. These practices, rooted in a profound understanding of ecological laws, challenge the stereotypical perception of “primitive civilizations”.
The second chapter shifts its focus to the present, exploring the transformation of traditional wisdom into contemporary design through a series of architectural and infrastructure cases. Taking the pavilion’s existing structure as a creative starting point, the curatorial team redesigned the interior space: exhibits in the first hall are all placed on the ground, extending the metaphor of “the foundation of the earth”; installations in the second hall, meanwhile, use minimal components such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), stone blocks, and steel cables. Through precise structural balance, these elements achieve a floating effect, intuitively demonstrating the design concept of “integrating traditional materials with modern technology” — a key focus in the latest architecture design.
The profound value of the exhibition lies in its expanded interpretation of the connotation of “intelligence.” Echoing curator Carlo Ratti’s interpretation of “Intelligens” — which emphasizes the central role of “humans” in Latin — the Brazilian Pavilion extends “intelligence” beyond the technical scope of artificial intelligence to include dimensions of natural evolution and accumulated collective experience. By showcasing the logic of “adapting to nature rather than opposing it” embedded in the Amazon’s ancient infrastructure, the exhibition provides a reference for addressing issues such as climate adaptation and ecological restoration in current cities. It also resonates with the biennale’s architectural trend of “shifting from ‘controlling nature’ to ‘coexisting with nature’.”
As a typical case exploring “natural intelligence and collective wisdom,” the Brazilian Pavilion’s exhibition not only rediscovers local cultural heritage but also, through a cross-temporal design dialogue, offers a practical model of “seeking innovation from tradition” to the global architectural community. It has thus become a crucial link connecting historical wisdom with future sustainable development at this year’s biennale.
