BA and MA Architecture at the Venice Biennale

Key Information

Information

Application Deadline: 13/06/23 at 9:00 am

Opportunity type: Academic-led trips

Faculty: Art, Design and Humanities

Ref: 10007708

Dates

Departure Date: 18/11/23

Return Date: 23/11/23

Costs

£460: the estimated cost for travel and accommodation (excluding DMU Global funding). Students will also be required to pay for: airport transfers (£90), museums and entry fees (£20), food and drink, visa (if applicable)

Funding

DMU Global Bursary: £150

Booking

Accommodation: Shared rooms in a hostel/hotel booked by DMU

Travel: Flights booked by DMU (students travel as a group)

Contact

General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk

How to pay

Payment details: Students will be required to pay £390 as a contribution towards the cost of travel and accommodation after being offered a place on the trip. The DMU Global bursary will be deducted directly from the overall cost of the booking.

Eligibility

Students that will be in their third year of BA Architecture, and those who will be in first and second year MA Architecture in the 2023-24 academic year are eligible to participate on this opportunity. There is a maximum of 40 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

About

Trip description

DMU Architecture students have the opportunity to participate in The Biennale Architettura 2023, which will be held from Saturday 20 May to Sunday 26 November 2023. The event will be curated by academic, educator and best-selling novelist Lesley Lokko, who has commented: “Architects have a unique opportunity to put forward ambitious and creative ideas that help us imagine a more equitable and optimistic future in common”.

Students will join 64 national representatives and thousands of delegates who will organise their exhibitions in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the city centre of Venice. Students will be able to visit a range of national exhibitions that are inclusive of a growing number of countries including Niger and Panama. The 18th International Architecture Exhibition, titled The Laboratory of the Future will be the first major exhibition in this discipline to test in the field the process to achieve carbon neutrality, while furthermore reflecting upon the themes of decolonisation and decarbonisation.

As part of the trip students will explore both Venice, Verona (with accommodation planned to be split between the two cities) and the surrounding Veneto region, with visits/activities including:


Learning objectives

Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of skills and knowledge that enhance your studies. Through participation in this trip to Italy we expect students:

  • To develop a conceptual and critical approach to architectural design, understanding individual investigations reflectively in the context of those of others, such as potential building users, site conditions, global or local events and precedents from architecture and related disciplines learned from the Biennale Exhibits.
  • To learn a design evolution that responds to, combines and integrates multiple ways of thinking including technological and environmental strategies, critical and cultural contexts, professional practice and ethical.
  • Explore and refine how a specific design responds to and fits in its local context and consider the long-term consequence of how it may transform its environs, both built and natural.
  • Define and develop suitable areas of research to investigate and critically evaluate appropriate architectural technologies and environments for a particular project to achieve net zero carbon buildings.

Students are expected to illustrate an advanced conceptual and critical approach to architectural design, drawing inspiration from the Biennale exhibits and the Carlo Scarpa works encountered. These experiences will feed into the design studies for both BA Architecture and MA Architecture students.


Cultural activities

Venice and the surrounding Veneto region have a rich and diverse history and culture. Whilst in the city, as part of the itinerary and in their free time students will have the chance to visit the stunning Doge’s Palace, alongside all the other key historical buildings on Piazza San Marco.

To fully appreciate the beauty of Venice, students are recommended to take a waterbus down the Grand Canal, as well as visiting the Rialto Bridge, one of the oldest and most iconic bridges in the city. To gain an appreciation of the Venetian Renaissance art, students should also consider visiting the Galleria dell’Acacdemia di Venezia. In addition, whilst in Verona, students will be able to enjoy its famous Italian Christmas Market, together with theatres and Renaissance art within the city.


Visa Information

Due to various external factors and an unprecedented demand for international travel, there are significant delays in visa processing, as well as very limited availability of application appointment slots for some countries and embassies.

We recommend that you take all appropriate steps to secure a visa as soon as practically possible, and to notify DMU Global if you face any issues. It is your responsibility to meet the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to. Failing to do so may mean that you’re liable for the costs incurred to the university (including repayment of the DMU Global bursary).