Venice, main entrance of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition curated by architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, pre-opening on May 8 and 9. The hype is real. Artists, architects, curators, journalists, and enthusiasts from all over the world eagerly await access to the long-anticipated event. Impatience gives way to excitement—especially if, to quote Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, “the anticipation of pleasure is itself a pleasure.” An overused phrase, perhaps, but one that captures the moment: in line, no one grumbles, no furrowed brows in sight. Only smiles and enthusiasm. Some search for spoilers on their smartphones, others proudly sport branded tote bags on their shoulders. Some strike up new conversations; others frantically search through files and documents for their lost pass before finally presenting it to the event staff. The queue, though outside the official entrance, already felt like part of the Biennale itself—constantly in motion, ever-changing.

The Biennale opens with Cittadellarte
And here we are, entering the Corderie dell’Arsenale. After the wait, one might expect a warm welcome. Instead, there’s no comfort zone to be found—just an unsettling, almost jarring immersion into the reality of a not-so-distant future.
The exhibition opens with The Third Paradise Perspective, an installation by Cittadellarte that highlights the urgent need for a collective reflection on the planet’s future and the importance of solutions born from human ingenuity.
Before the visitor stretches a flooded room, with water reaching a depth of 70 centimeters—a projection of Venice’s expected sea level in the year 2100—intersected by a pathway in the shape of the Third Paradise symbol. A dystopian, almost science-fiction-like scenario. But there’s no comfort or reassurance here: what we see and feel is not absurdist theatre, not a dreamlike representation, not the set of a sci-fi series. It’s a credible glimpse into the future that awaits us.
And it’s not just the water level—there’s also the heat. In the hottest spot in the room, the temperature reaches 42 degrees Celsius, referencing what an average summer day in Venice could feel like 75 years from now.

Solutions and Collective Intelligence
In the face of the apocalyptic urgency of the climate crisis, the trinamical symbol is not merely an entrance to the exhibition—a physical and conceptual threshold—but a call to reflect on our shared responsibilities and the potential to build new solutions together. The decision to open the exhibition with this symbol is no coincidence: the first room is the starting point, a space where climate change is made visible and becomes the core of a broader reflection on the future.
Cittadellarte’s vision does not merely present itself at this Biennale as a tool of hope, but as a concrete proposal for connection between natural and artificial intelligence—a symbol of a synergy capable of addressing global challenges.
The Third Paradise thus responds to the pressing issues of our time, from the climate crisis to forced migration due to wars and increasingly intolerable economic imbalances. The Biennale’s entry hall therefore becomes a signal for a new narrative—one of collective intelligence committed to generating new ways of living and thriving in harmony with the life of the planet.

The Curatorial Team and Sponsors
The project The Third Paradise Perspective is the result of Cittadellarte’s ongoing laboratory work and, in particular, of the multidisciplinary collaboration between Michelangelo Pistoletto, Paolo Naldini, Michele Cerruti But, Tiziano Guardini, Luigi Ciuffreda, and Giulia Giavatto, with the support of Lavazza Group (one of the official sponsors of the 2025 Architecture Biennale), Pomilio Blumm, the Circle of Custodians of Cittadellarte, Blue & Green S.r.l., and Artemide.

Lo Statodellarte in the Spotlight of the Intelligens CANON Pathway
Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto also plays a leading role in the Intelligens CANON section, curated by Carlo Ratti. This “exhibition within the exhibition” showcases emblematic and innovative projects, bringing together cross-disciplinary initiatives that serve as virtuous models for contemporary architecture. These models demonstrate how intelligence can be actively applied to address global challenges.
Within this context, Cittadellarte’s Lo Statodellarte has been selected as a concrete example of social transformation. The project is rooted in Demopraxy—a form of civic-political organization that values communities of practice as active tools for change and, like a collective artwork in constant evolution, guides the future by harmonizing freedom and responsibility.
Cittadellarte promotes responsible co-creation to address the world’s most pressing issues through initiatives that range from a three-year Academy offering programs in Public Art and Sustainable Fashion, to a platform of artist and activist residencies, and a global network of ambassadors engaged in social innovation projects.
The Biennale embraces the theme of “rebuilding,” a concept made tangible in the Foundation’s work, which for over thirty years has been transforming territories through innovative governance and urban planning projects. This has positioned Cittadellarte as a reference point in designing solutions that merge natural and artificial intelligence.
With Lo Statodellarte, Cittadellarte reaffirms the vital role of human intelligence—working in synergy with both natural and technological intelligences—in addressing the challenges of the future.
Lo Statodellarte is developed by Michelangelo Pistoletto, Paolo Naldini, Michele Cerruti But, Luca Bergamo, Nazarena Lanza, Alessandro Mondino, Andrea Redaelli, Ilaria Bernardi, and Niccolò Abriani.

The Intelligens for Urban Regeneration Panel
Lavazza Group is participating as a donor at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, supporting three installations: The Third Paradise Perspective and the special projects Canal Café and Voice of Commons. Along these lines, Lavazza Group also played a leading role on the morning of May 9th during the panel Intelligens for Urban Regeneration, hosted in the Speakers’ Corner at the Corderie dell’Arsenale as part of the Gens public program of the exhibition.
During the event, the docufilm Nuvola was presented as a preview. Conceived by Virginio Briatore and Francesca Molteni, directed by Luca Caon, and produced on the occasion of the company’s 130th anniversary, the film celebrates Nuvola—Lavazza’s headquarters—and its importance as an example of social architecture.
Urban coexistence among culturally diverse communities, the redevelopment of post-industrial areas, and the conception of new workspaces as community-oriented environments focused not only on productivity but also on well-being: these were the key topics explored through a multi-voiced and multi-thematic dialogue moderated by Valerio Paolo Mosco (Professor of Architectural History at IUAV). Speakers included Cino Zucchi (Founder, CZA Architetti), Francesca Molteni (Founder, MUSE Projects Factory), Francesca Lavazza (Board Member, Lavazza Group), Carlo Ratti (curator of the Biennale), and Paolo Naldini (Director, Cittadellarte).
After his talk, in which he described this edition of the Biennale as “the Biennale of harmony, because I finally see art and design converging,” Naldini led the speakers and audience on a tour of The Third Paradise Perspective, illustrating the installation’s content alongside Cerruti But, Guardini, Ciuffreda, and Giavatto.

The Exit
Having revisited the highlights and revealed the details of Cittadellarte's participation in the Biennale, let us rewind the hourglass and return to the beginning—to the audience that, after a long wait, was finally stepping into the space hosting The Third Paradise Perspective. Observing their faces—even in a partial and subjective account—one could detect a common thread in their reactions: astonishment.
Some furrowed their brows, others attempted to scrutinize every detail in the darkness to grasp the full complexity of the work, while some stood still, silent. As if the audience hadn’t expected to be confronted with such a raw reflection of reality, as if forced to stare at an imminent, non-anachronistic future we often pretend not to see. Like the smoker who avoids reading the health warnings on a cigarette pack, or the consumer who refuses to check the ingredients on junk food.
With The Third Paradise Perspective, that process of denial collapses on itself. Even the most sensitive observers were struck, deeply moved: the power of the installation is such that indifference is impossible. Walking across that Third Paradise means walking across oneself.
The work is a one-way ticket—with a possible return—for an introspective journey into awareness.
Then, you step out of the installation room. Phew. A sigh of relief. That corner of the world is no longer submerged. The climate has returned to “normal.” But from that moment on, we know we cannot settle back into comfort: that relief is fleeting. The time for proposals, for collective intelligence, for responsibility is now.
Now, thanks to Cittadellarte, we have a new perspective.