Carlo Ratti Appointed Curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale
A New Direction in Architecture
The prestigious 19th International Architecture Exhibition, set to take place from May 24 to November 23, 2025, with a pre-opening on May 22 and 23, will see a new curator at its helm. The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia announced on Thursday, December 21, the appointment of Carlo Ratti as the Director of the Architecture Department. This significant role will have Ratti curating the renowned 2025 exhibition.
The Man Behind the Vision: Carlo Ratti
Carlo Ratti, an esteemed architect and engineer, brings a wealth of experience to this role. A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico di Milano, Ratti is well-recognized in academic circles. His expertise extends beyond academia; he is the director of the Senseable City Lab and a founding partner of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, with offices in Turin, New York City, and London.
Ratti’s academic journey includes degrees from the Politecnico di Torino, the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK, completed as a Fulbright Scholar at MIT. As one of the top ten most-cited urban planning scholars, he has over 750 publications to his name, including the influential Atlas of the Senseable City.
His voice is recognized globally, with opinion essays featured in The New York Times, Financial Times, and other leading publications. As Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization, Ratti’s influence extends to the highest levels of urban policy and planning.
A Curator with a Global Footprint
Ratti’s curatorial experience is as diverse as it is impressive. He has directed programs at the Strelka Institute in Moscow, curated for the BMW Guggenheim Pavilion in Berlin, and the Future Food District at Expo 2015 Milan. His role as the chief curator of the 8th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen and the Porto Design Biennale speaks to his global perspective.
His creative vision has been showcased at the MoMA in New York, the Design Museum in Barcelona, and MAXXI in Rome. Recognized by TIME Magazine, Fast Company, and Bloomberg for his innovative contributions, Ratti is a visionary in the field.
Carlo Ratti’s Vision for Architecture’s Future
In his statement, Ratti emphasized the need for architecture to embrace all forms of intelligence – from evolutionary ingenuity to the collective wisdom of crowds. He expressed his honor and humility at being chosen to curate the Biennale Architettura 2025, highlighting his commitment to addressing the pressing challenges of our time through architectural innovation.
Looking Forward to 2025
The Biennale Architettura 2025 promises to be an event of significant importance under Ratti’s guidance. The exhibition’s dates have been set, and the anticipation for what Ratti will bring to this prestigious event is high. With his unique blend of academic insight, global experience, and visionary thinking, Carlo Ratti’s curatorship is poised to make a profound impact on the world of architecture.
