Nature of Hope, 11th International Architecture Biennale of Rotterdam

For ‘Nature of Hope’, D_P_S has chosen to work as a spatial and material consultant, where the main focus is not on building or shipping vast amounts of matter, but rather on working toward a strategy of labor reduction and creating possibilities for afterlife scenarios.

By analyzing and making an inventory of what is already available in the Nieuwe Instituut, so-called ‘left-over’ materials, equipment, and in-house technical skills, we were able to come up with a simple setup that allows almost 60 practices to showcase their work. 

The materials and display modules used to present the IABR exhibition were found in the building (an accumulation of previous exhibitions). Not only do we plan to carefully dismantle the existing show and create inventories for different uses, but on a macro level we have (even) retained large parts of the former scenography. On a more detailed level, we have decided not to cut the available materials, such as panels, wooden profiles, or pedestals, so they can be used in the show immediately after the IABR. By recognizing the value of the existing materials, the ‘Nature of Hope’ exhibition is a compilation of all the things the museum already had but rearranged so that we look at them with fresh eyes. 

Time, or the lack of it, is the general spatial concept that we want visitors to experience; more specifically an ephemeral moment, a glimpse of what happens ‘between shows,’ the moment when resources are increasingly scarce.

. . . we are trying to ‘borrow without damaging,’ and in doing so we hope to question the true nature of designing within Biennale presentation formats.

This approach, based on (un)conventional, non-design-oriented strategies, is almost climate-neutral. It is efficient and represents an attempt to meet various exhibition requirements through smart solutions. This is in line with the social question we face as designers, which is how to rearrange existing systems, structures, and flows in such a way that we can adapt to, and anticipate a forward-looking future.

The International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) is a biennial event that delves into the evolving realms of architecture and urban planning. Founded in 2003 and based in Rotterdam, the IABR addresses the future of cities and tackles the significant challenges posed to designers amid the climate crisis and social inequality. This event acts as a vital platform for examining the roles of architecture, landscape, and urbanism in responding to global issues like water management, energy transition, housing, and food supply – concerns that are spatial in nature and have a worldwide impact. Every two years, the IABR presents a rich cultural public program, including exhibitions, debates, lectures, workshops, and tours, celebrating the transformative power of architectural creativity. In the intervals between editions, the IABR continues to foster research and dialogue, striving to set agendas and stimulate discussions in both the national and international architectural spheres.

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2024 Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, NL

Curators: Saskia van Stein (director IABR), consists of Janna Bystrykh (architect and researcher), Catherine Koekoek (architect-researcher and philosopher), Alina Paias (spatial designer and researcher), Hani Salih (researcher and writer) and Noortje Weenink (researcher and writer).

Spatial Consultancy by Diogo Passarinho Studio
Team: Diogo Passarinho and Gonçalo Reynolds

Graphic design by Studio Le Roy Cleeremans

Participants: Dérive, Jane Mah Hutton, Clemens Driessen, Lesia Topolnyk, la-di-da, Niek Hendrix, DS, Mihnea, Ekaterina Volkova & Julien Thomas, Matthew Gandy, Barend Koolhaas, János Chialá, Daphina Misiedjan, Rosi Braidotti, Aki Inomata, Eco Jurisprudence Monitor, Amsterdam Academy of Architecture – Research Group Architecture & Circular Thinking (ACT), De Onkruidenier, Studio ACTE ,Studio Ester van de Wiel & Studio Joost Adriaanse, Forensic Architecture, Isa Defesche, Nerea Calvillo & RECLAIM Urban GBI International Photography Competition, Alexandra Arènes, Public Works, APLO, Rosetta S. Elkin & Phoebe Lickwar, Husos Arquitecturas, Cream-on-Chrome, HouseEurope!, After Comfort Collective (Thomas Auer, Nick Axel, Daniel A. Barber, Nikolaus Hirsch, Jeannette Kuo & Ola Uduku), Studio Stephan Schagen & CHRITH, Open Systems Lab, MOULD, Phineas Harper, Thomas Randall-Page, Kate Bowman, Lucas Facer, Kit Jones, Felix Kary, Smith Mordak, Allegra FitzHerbert, Sanjukta Jitendhar, Martha Summers, CHRITH & Emma Diehl, Laura Ajol, ARCH+ & Station+, Independent School for the City, Lola Zoido, BC architects & studies & materials, Material cultures, Worofila, Studio Bark, Kiel Moe, meta office, Ricardo Avella, Who Tames Whom?, RE-ST, Centro Cooperativista Uruguayo & Stefan Gruber, Remaking Cities Institute, Extinction Rebellion, RUINORAMA, Karin Reisinger, Pernilla Fagerlönn, Lis-Mari Gurák Hjortfors, Karina Jarrett / Embroidery Café, De Warren, Bajesdorp & de Nieuwe Meent, Semillas, Platform Woonopgave, Théo Demans and Clemence Seille, LOLA Landscape Architects, Jaap Korteweg, P2, Boeren & Wonen, ONE Architecture, [Applied] Foreign Affairs, Academic Workshop Soil, Anna Zań, Charlotte van der Woude, Keller Easterling, Rural Studio, LOCUMENT, Inside Outside, Terremoto, The Architecture Lobby, Lutkemeer/Voedselpark Amsterdam, Bright, OFFICE KGDVS, Studio Chris Kabel, ateliermeester, Cesar Majorana, Alex Putzer & Katja Schechtner, William Myers, Marinke Steenhuis, West 8, H+N+S; ateliermeester Iris Wijn