Tales from the Biennale Architecture Conference, Venice Italy 2025

https://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/2025/19th-exhibition

Graves Design Group’s Junior Project Manager, Francis Ikhalea, recently traveled to Venice, Italy, to attend the Biennale Architecture Conference, where his former college professor and friend invited him to witness the unveiling of their installation titled “Recall and Response of the Djembe.” The project explored the cultural significance and resonance of the djembe, a traditional rope-tuned, skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, reinterpreted through the lens of contemporary architectural expression. His participation marked a meaningful engagement with global design conversations and celebrated the fusion of heritage, sound, and spatial storytelling. Attached are a few of his many photographs of the interesting installations taken at the 2025 conference.