Current Status of Architectures and Cities around the World: Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2019

The Second Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism

The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (hereinafter Seoul Biennale), first unveiled in 2017, has now returned after a two-year hiatus. The Seoul Biennale continues with the previous Biennale’s exhibiting format. This time, it is once again a location-focused Biennale. The exhibitions and events, will take place during the same period throughout Seoul, including Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture, Donuimun Museum Village, Sewoon Sangga, and Seoul Museum of History. Lim Jaeyong (principal, OCA) and Francisco Sanin (professor, Syracuse University) are to take the lead in the Seoul Biennale this year. Presented by the two co-directors, the theme of this year is ‘Collective City’. The Seoul Biennale said that the Collective City means ‘a single city formed by the gathering of the elements such as natural resource, urban infrastructure, transportation, politics, and culture’. The description of the theme seems somewhat abstract and ambiguous. However, since an event like a Biennale is a dedicated place for bringing together and sharing various thoughts from all over the world, the Seoul Biennale may have chosen a concept that is comprehensive and multifaceted, in order to collect each individual meaning or idea held in different cities throughout the world.

In the themed lecture on the 8th of September, Francisco Sanin stressed that ‘rather than questioning “what” the Collective City is, it is more important to think about “why” we need to reconsider the Collective City at this point’. According to Sanin, the city must be reclaimed by