Walls of air

Walls of Air explores several ways in which to read, challenge and transgress material and immaterial boundaries in Brazil. As it investigates different types of “walls”, it also represents an exercise in examining the borders between architecture and other disciplines. Originally curated for the Brazilian Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture la Biennale di Venezia, the exhibition presents 17 architectural and urban projects selected from a public open call. Chosen for articulating ingenious solutions to transform their environment by contributing to render them more connected and inclusive, the projects (built or unbuilt) reveal architecture’s ability to break down walls and create more generous collective public spheres. In addition to the selection of the projects, a research depicting Brazil’s current environmental, geo-political, and social landscape was developed. This research resulted in 10 cartographic drawings, documented in the catalogue. Such drawings portray the ongoing processes of urbanization in Brazil resulting from national policies on immigration, urban design, infrastructure building, housing, and other elements that affect the spatial organization of the territory. The projects, along with the publication’s maps, essays, interviews and artwork, reveal spatial and social aspects often previously overlooked. Each of the buildings selected is represented through a model and drawings crafted to establish a dialogue with all other projects, with an emphasis on design and scale, thereby encouraging a broader dialogue regarding Brazil’s Freespace - the theme of the Biennale Architettura Freespace 2018.