‘Repair’ instead of building new. The focus of this year’s Venice Biennale

Architecture focuses on producing the new. New buildings, new forms, new projects.

The Venice Biennale 2026, however, takes a step back from this habit. This year’s theme is “repair”. In other words, the issue is not making something new, but what to do with what already exists.

This is not just about physical repair. It looks at how we deal with environmental, social and inherited problems. Here, architecture is not only about production; it is also treated as a matter of responsibility.

Koyo Kouoh’s Venice Bienalle curator influence is clear in this approach. She is a curator who has long worked with voices that are less visible. A similar direction is present in the biennale. Instead of one dominant narrative, smaller and more diverse stories from different places come together.

But this year, the process itself has also been quite tense. The resignation of the international jury is the clearest sign of this. It made clear where the biennale stands. It also reminds us of something simple: architecture is never completely neutral.

In terms of space, Giardini and Arsenale remain at the center. They are joined by venues such as Forte Marghera and events spread across different parts of the city. But this year, what matters is not only where it takes place, but also how it is set up. The biennale does not stay within a single site; it spreads into the city.

The selection is also quite extensive. The main exhibition features 111 artists, with a strong presence of participants from the Global South. This shows where the biennale is looking this year. Works from outside the usual centers are more visible.

That said, it would be incorrect to interpret the ‘repair’ theme merely as a return to the past. It is more about rethinking the existing system. Rather than creating something new, the question of how we should approach what already exists comes to the fore.

For this reason, the Venice Biennale 2026 can be seen less as an exhibition and more as a statement. The approach focuses not so much on what architecture produces, but on how it addresses its subject matter.This is where the Venice Biennale 2026 repair theme becomes clear.

Photo: Andrea Avezzu
Courtesy La Biennale Venezia