Biennale

Down to Earth

from September 19, 2020 to August 14, 2021

    • Het Keilepand, Merwe-Vierhavensgebied
    • Keilestraat 9, Rotterdam
    • Biesboschhal, De Staart
    • Maasstraat Dordrecht
    • Waterschool, Studio Makkink & Bey
    • Marconistraat Rotterdam

In 2020 Down to Earth, the 9th Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, sought to make an impact in practice, from changing the way we manage water in the Delta of the Low Countries to realizing an inclusive energy transition in a Rotterdam urban district. 

In response to the United Nations’ alarming IPCC report that states that the world has until 2030 to avoid an impending climate catastrophe, the IABR, drawing on philosopher Bruno Latour, asked whether it is possible to ‘re-settle’ on planet Earth by redesigning our living environment in a sustainable balance with other life forms. The IABR explored the ways in which spatial designers and architects can contribute to this.

The 9th edition was a follow-up to 2018’s The Missing Link. The Biennale took place in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The exhibition program was interrupted by lockdowns and was therefore shown over a longer period. 

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Down to Earth poster Design: ARK

Curators

    • George Brugmans
    • Rianne Makkink en Jurgen Bey (Studio Makkink & Bey)
    • Thijs van Spaandonk (Bright en hoofd Master Stedenbouw bij de Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst)
    • Robbert de Vrieze (Transformism en voorzitter Delfshaven Energie Coöperatie)
    • Curatorial statement
    • Credits
The High Ground. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn
The High Ground. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn
The High Ground. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn
Down to Earth – Waterschool M4H + Outdoor installation. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Waterschool M4H. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Reclaiming the Commons. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Whose Energy is it, Anyway? Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Whose Energy is it, Anyway? Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Reclaiming the Commons. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Drought in the Delta. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.
Down to Earth – Drought in the Delta. Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn.