—— Synopsis Guan Lee and Mike Lim will present their curatorial approach for the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2027. The project is a UK–Malaysia collaboration exploring themes of impermanence, diaspora, and the transformation of cultural traditions through migration. Drawing on Malaysian ritual practices, including temporary paper architecture associated with the Hungry Ghost Festival, the pavilion is conceived as a “festival within a festival,” where making, unmaking, and cultural exchange are central to the work. This session will introduce the ideas, research, and collaborations shaping the project, and aims to open a dialogue with the architectural community in Penang.
—— Bio Guan Lee is an architect and educator, Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, and founding director of Grymsdyke Farm, a design and research practice in Buckinghamshire. His work focuses on process-driven design through making and material exploration. Mike Lim is a British architect and co-founder of IDK, an architecture studio based in London and Paris. His work focuses on cultural projects and developing design frameworks grounded in the realities of making and production. Together, they are co-curators of the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2027, leading a UK–Malaysia collaboration with a wider curatorial team and artisans based in Penang.
18 May 2028 (Monday) | 7:00pm - 8:00pm