THE FIRST BIENNALE D'ARCHITECTURE D'ORLÉANS 13 OCT 2017 - 01 AVR 2018

"Walking through someone else's dream." Come to discover the first edition of the "Biennale d'Architecture d'Orleans #1" in France from 13 October 2017 until 01 April 2018. + biennale-orleans.fr

The Biennale d’Architecture d’Orléans is a « biennale de collection » constructed as a confluence of memory: accrued memories - works of the collection - and future memories – those of the invited architects and artists. The Biennale d’Architecture d’Orléans, heir to the ArchiLab, is an intersecting vision from over forty contemporary architects working on building a shared world, a world of proximities. The intent is to question these architects, to ask them to tell us how they envision walking in our dreams and fears. Each of the different works from the architects is a dialogue; sometimes with the past, other times as a confrontation with the present. The future considered as a dream, one we will have to share and experience together.

This rhizome of dialogs and the tensions between them forms the circuit for the Biennale, which spreads out to various venues throughout the city (Médiathèque d’Orléans, les Turbulences, the Collégiale Saint-Pierre Le Puellier, Vinaigreries Dessaux, Théâtre d’Orléans, and rue Jeanne D’Arc). And expands to the greater Region via: les Tanneries (Centre d’art contemporain) in Amilly, Galerie la Box-ENSA in Bourges, and Transpalette (Centre d’art contemporain) in Bourges. The hustle and bustle of the city – streets, walls, noise, and odours – all become a crucial part of the overall narrative. The ensuing discussion between “the established and the modern”, between reality and fiction is articulated by three key figures: Guy Rottier, Demas Nwoko and Patrick Bouchain. The curators given Guy Rottier’s a monographic exhibition as an opportunity to activate the absurd, radical, transgression, along with the subversive tenderness found in the architect’s work as a driving force for architectural and urbanistic innovation. Demas Nwoko has been invited to open a dialogue devoted to Africa. Beginning with special attention devoted to his body of work and symposium of African architecture we will trace the evolution of African art and architecture since the 1950’s. Hopefully avoiding the trappings of the latest trends.

Patrick Bouchain, is the guest of honour. Following the donation of his entire archive to the Frac Centre-Val de Loire , the biennale presents his premier retrospective. The Biennale will become a space to discover and interact with his work in addition to creating an environment of dialogue and exchange: Visitors will be welcomed by a "High space for hospitality" designed by Patrick Bouchain and the collective PEROU. There, they will find an “Abri de l’écrit” to write a history of architecture with the architect and sociologist Jean-Pierre Frey, as well as a “people’s university”, an island for children, and a “public space”.

The Biennial expands throughout multiple territories, both the city and the broader region, all while exploring the dreams and diversity of its architects and artists. Like an architectural structure, the Biennial becomes a ritornello device between fiction and reality.

Curators of the Biennale: Abdelkader Damani & Luca Galofaro
Honored Guest: Patrick Bouchain
Tribute: Guy Rottier
Associated curators: Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi, african scene / Marco Brizzi, architecture and video / Monica Garcia, spanish scene / Gilles Rion, outdoor program / Aurélien Vernant, Frac collection. 

More information about the Biennale d'Architecture d'Orléans #1 on the official website: biennale-orleans.fr

Artists and Architects, part of the biennale exhibition:

2A+P/A, Italie
Amid.Cero9, Espagne
Aristide Antonas, Grèce
Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Espagne
Pierre Bernard, France
Jordi Bernadò, Espagne
Tatiana Bilbao, Mexique
BLACK SQUARE, Angleterre
Henry Bony & Léa Mosconi, France
Patrick Bouchain, France
Alexander Brodsky, Russie
Fabrizio Caròla, Italie
Cavart, Italie
Nidhal Chamekh, France
ecoLogicStudio, Angleterre
Encore Heureux, France
Ensamble Studio, Espagne
Frida Escobedo, Mexique
Factory Fifteen, Angleterre
Didier Fiuza Faustino, France
Lukas Feireiss, Allemagne
Gian Piero Frassinelli, Italie
Mathias Goeritz, Allemagne & Mexique

Saba Innab, Palestine
Jozef Jankovič, Slovaquie
Bernard Khoury, Liban
Lucia Koch, Brésil
Cédric Libert, Belgique
LIST, France
MAIO, Espagne
Maria Mallo, Espagne
Manthey Kula, Norvège
MICROCITIES (Socks Studio), France 
Minimaforms, Angleterre
Demas Nwoko, Nigeria
OBRA Architects, USA
Hèctor Parra, Espagne
Ana Peñalba, Espagne
Andrés Perea Ortega, Espagne
PEROU, France
PIOVENEFABI, Italie
José Miguel de Prada Poole, Espagne
Thomas Raynaud, France
Guy Rottier, France
Francisco Javier Segui de la Riva & Ana Buenaventura, Espagne
Massinissa Selmani, Algérie
Beniamino Servino, Italie
Pierre Székely, Hongrie & France
Takk, Espagne
Max Turnheim, France
Luis Urculo, Espagne et Mexique
José Maria Yturralde, Espagne
Mengzhi Zheng, France
Annett Zinsmeister, Allemagne
1024, France

+ biennale-orleans.fr