Primitive Migration from/to Taiwan

Official Collateral Event of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia

Preview Days: May 20-21
May 22 – November 21, 2021
Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venice

Taiwan’s Collateral Event for the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (Biennale Architettura 2021) runs from 22 May to 21 November 2021 at Palazzo delle Prigioni. Entitled Primitive Migration from/to Taiwan, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) and curatorial teams Divooe Zein Architects and Double-Grass International Co., organized an immersive exhibition that tackles question posed by the biennale’s curator Hashim Sarkis, How will we live together?, which has taken on a new relevance since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Portuguese sailors once sailed past Taiwan and were in awe of the island’s beauty, hence praising it “Ilha Formosa” in Portuguese, for which it has become known. The profound interaction between Taiwan’s rich geological and ecological appearance, as well as its ethnically diverse cultures, has made the island a unique place to inhabit. On this occasion, the architectural proposition seeks to ask how Taiwan, with a current population of around 23 million, can maintain its unique way of living and its architectural culture whilst surrounded on all fronts by mountains, forests and oceans.

The presentation is unveiled through five existing architectural projects in Taiwan that explore the effects of human and nature interaction: Siu siu – Lab of Primitive Sense, Nature Monastery in Bali, Semi-ecosphere glass house for isolation and meditation, Lab of Primitive Sense and The Forest BIG.