University of Newcastle Architecture Students to Exhibit at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale
Architecture students from the University of Newcastle will have the extraordinary opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage as part of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, the world’s premier platform for contemporary design thinking.
The students have been participating in a prestigious four-week multi-university summer intensive entitled HOME: Country as Creative Process led by the Pavilions creative team at the University of Sydney, and in collaboration with leading architecture schools across the country. Under the guidance of Awabakal academic Shellie Smith and Nicholas Foulcher, Head of the Architecture Discipline at the University of Newcastle, students have been working alongside their peers nationally to create Living Objects — sculptural forms that explore their personal and cultural concept of Home.
These Living Objects will become a central part of the Australian Pavilion exhibition at this year’s Biennale, offering students an unparalleled opportunity to engage with global audiences and industry leaders. The project encourages students to reflect deeply on the meaning of Home, translating their ideas into tangible, crafted expressions that speak to themes of Country, Community, and Culture.
Shellie Smith, whose research focuses on Indigenous-led design and cultural making practices, emphasises the significance of this experience:
"This project allows students to develop their creative practice in a way that is deeply personal while also contributing to a national and international conversation about architecture, place, and identity. Being part of the Venice Architecture Biennale is an incredible opportunity for our students to present their work on the world stage and engage with leading thinkers in the field."
As one of the most anticipated global events in architecture and design, the Venice Architecture Biennale is a prestigious platform where cutting-edge ideas and groundbreaking projects are showcased. The Australian Pavilion, curated to highlight contemporary architectural discourse, will feature these student works as a testament to the power of collaboration, cultural narratives, and design-led inquiry.
This initiative reinforces the University of Newcastle’s commitment to fostering innovation, creativity, and meaningful global engagement for its students. By participating in this project, students are not only gaining invaluable hands-on experience but also contributing to a broader discussion about therole of architecture in shaping cultural and spatial identities.
The exhibition will open in May 2025 in Venice, Italy, where visitors from across the globe will have the chance to experience these unique and thought-provoking Living Objects as part of the Australian exhibition HOME: Country as Creative Process.
For more information, please contact:
Shellie Smith
shellie.smith@newcastle.edu.au
Contact
- Tamara Tancred
- Phone: 02 4921 5504
- Email: tamara.tancred@newcastle.edu.au
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The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.