Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture

Aleksandra Kędziorek, Krzysztof Maniak, Katarzyna Przezwańska, Maciej Siuda present Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture in the Polish Pavilion during the Architecture Biennale 2025.

The exhibition in the Polish Pavilion speaks of our anxieties and how we respond to them to feel safer in architecture.

From its very beginnings, one of architecture’s basic functions is protection. Originally, buildings were meant to shelter us from atmospheric phenomena and the elements. At present, the catalogue of anxieties with which we contend in the built environment is much larger: it includes the climate catastrophe, armed conflicts and political unrest. Decisions that affect our security are made on a global level, and the complexity and unpredictability of the modern world can generate a sense of anxiety and make us feel lost. In this situation, how are we to build our own sense of security?

This exhibition seeks responses to this question in building practices, rituals and beliefs. Their task, much like the titular lares and penates, the household guardian deities in ancient Rome, is to ensure success and protect against dangers. The exhibition does not rate the efficacy of these practices. It treats them as resources of pre-modern, collective intelligence. In a highly technologised world, the simplicity and accessibility of these solutions gives the human mind a much-needed sense of agency. The fact that they are so widespread means they play a vital role in building a local community.

The exhibition is based on two constructs: security and a sense of security. The first involves solutions derived from building, fire, and health department regulations. The second is culturally-rooted practices, customs and convictions meant to ensure good fortune and protect against adversity. This exhibition treats them as equal and complementary. Together they help people feel more secure in a swiftly changing reality.

Polish Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2025
Authors: Aleksandra Kędziorek, Krzysztof Maniak, Katarzyna Przezwańska, Maciej Siuda. Commissioner of the Polish Pavilion: Agnieszka Pindera, Director of Zachęta—National Gallery of Art. Polish Pavilion Office: Anna Kowalska, Michał Kubiak (Deputy Commissioner). Organiser: Zachęta—National Gallery of Art.

Poland’s participation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland

Patron of the Polish Pavilion: ORLEN. Exhibition partner: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Paradyż. Collaboration: Polish Institute in Rome. Supported by: Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts. Media patronage: Autoportret, Architektura & Biznes, ELLE Decoration, LABEL, PAP, Polskie Radio, TVP Kultura, Vogue Poland.

About the Polish Pavilion
For over 70 years, the Polish Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia has been managed by Zachęta—National Gallery of Art. Poland has taken part in the Art Biennale since 1932 and in the Architecture Biennale since 1991. The Pavilion itself was built in the 1930s, financed by the Polish government, whose property it remains. Its mission is to promote contemporary art, foster the exchange of artistic ideas, and draw attention to the pressing issues of our time.