VIVRE AVEC / LIVING WITH

For the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—The Venice Biennale (May 5–10 / November 11–23, 2025), France will be represented by the project VIVRE AVEC / LIVING WITH. The participation is coordinated by the Institut français operator of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture.

VIVRE AVEC / LIVING WITH, proposed by the curators of the French Pavilion—Dominique Jakob and Brendan MacFarlane (JAKOB+MACFARLANE architectes), Martin Duplantier (Martin Duplantier Architectes), and Éric Daniel-Lacombe (EDL architectes)—explores architecture’s capacity to address environmental challenges as well as the global conflicts and instability of today’s world.

“In a world of polycrises and turbulent change, with multiplying conflicts and a climate that is becoming unpredictable, a world where millions are being displaced, while others are living in areas increasingly exposed to risks, we must learn to live with this state of permanent instability. How can we continue to live on this planet while inventing new ways of life in the face of these challenges?” articulates the curatorial team.

Architecture intersects human, urban, social, and environmental issues. VIVRE AVEC / LIVING WITH explores its ability to synthesize and adapt through six themes:

LIVING WITH… the existing
Working with what is already there rather than starting from scratch. Rehabilitating instead of demolishing: adaptive reuse as a practice based on the principles of regeneration, circularity, and transition.

LIVING WITH… the immediate
Revealing the transformative potential of a locally based approach. Optimizing available resources, innovating with what is within reach. Using bio-based, geo-sourced, or urban materials derived from the surrounding environment.

LIVING WITH… the broken
Restoring, rebuilding, and reconciling after destructive events, whether natural, human made, or conflict-related.

LIVING WITH… vulnerabilities
Adapting to climate hazards and challenging environments: living with vulnerabilities is not about fighting risks, but about working with them to imagine more robust and resilient environments.

LIVING WITH… nature 
Recognizing ecosystems as essential partners in architecture and urban planning: an architecture in constant dialogue with living systems and shared environments.

LIVING WITH… combined intelligences
Interdisciplinary collaboration and co-design: bringing together experts, residents, and technology to enrich the creative process.

For the exhibition VIVRE AVEC / LIVING WITH presented in the French Pavilion, the curatorial team aims to demonstrate that architecture can do more than survive in a world in crisis — it can actively contribute to humanity’s adaptation to changing conditions.

The curators have selected about fifty French and international projects to explore these six themes.

Among the 50 projects that weave the exhibition’s narrative, nine are presented by the curators, and forty-one were selected by the jury panel from submissions to an open call launched in July 2024. For this selection, the committee members had to review approximately 275 projects from France (mainland, French Guiana, Mayotte, Martinique) and many other countries around the world (Ukraine, Lebanon, Japan, Morocco…).

Closed for renovation throughout 2025, the historical French Pavilion in the Giardini is far from abandoned. Embracing the concept of living with what is already there, the exhibition unfolds right next to the construction site, within a lightweight structure entirely made from construction reusable materials and integrating the surrounding landscape. The universal architectural language of scaffolding used in the restoration of the historic pavilion is extrapolated to become the project’s key material and the starting point of the exhibition.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog (published by Flammarion) and a program of six conferences from June to November 2025.

In addition, the Institut français is committed to promoting and disseminating the project Living With / Vivre  Avec both in France and internationally through a series of related initiatives. These actions will take place before, during, and after the exhibition in Venice, with the goal of increasing awareness of the project’s themes and the people behind it, extending its impact beyond the Pavilion itself.

VIVRE AVEC / LIVING WITH aligns with the theme of the 2025 Architecture Biennale ,“Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective” under the general curatorship of architect and engineer Carlo Ratti.

Press inquiries and further information: Clara Coustillac, clara [​at​] annesamson.com, T+33 (0)6 58 93 63 06 / Sofia Sabatino, sofia [​at​] annesamson.com, T+39 3890266436