Venice, May 8, 2025
Swedish humanitarian nonprofit Better Shelter unveils its installation, Wireframe of Life, at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti. Within the theme Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., the project is selected as one of the Biennale Architettura 2025 special projects, and is part of the Venice as a Living Lab section in the Giardino delle Vergini.
The installation features two structures elevated on compressed earth blocks; one bare Better Shelter frame and one replica made from scaffolding and clad with panels from local building materials crafted by artisans in Kenya, India, and Colombia. Materials such as bamboo, rammed earth, and scrap metal reflect real-life building practices in these places. Steel frames welded in Stockholm and Venetian grisiola ground the installation into its current context. Inside the installation, the short film A Day in Tana River by Swedish artist and filmmaker Senay Berhe offers a glimpse into life in these shelters.
The Better Shelter team developed the initial concept, while architects Love Di Marco and Assaf Kimmel designed the installation on display.
The installation embodies the resilience, creativity, and craftsmanship of displaced communities.
“These structures are not static,” says Johan Karlsson, managing director of Better Shelter. “They evolve with the people living in them, with the seasons, and with time. Wireframe of Life is a tribute to the resilience, skills, and craftsmanship that turn a simple shelter into a home.”
“Set in the Giardino delle Vergini, two shelter structures are mirrored and contrasted — one left bare, the other is clad with multiple techniques and materials, as a tapestry that captures the ingenuity of local artisans across diverse geographies”, say Love Di Marco and Assaf Kimmel. “The installation embodies the Better Shelter frame as a structure for resilience and a canvas for transformation and creativity.”
The installation is part of Better Shelter’s ongoing creative initiative, What Makes a Home, a collaborative platform that explores the meaning of home through various media. Wireframe of Life extends this exploration into a three-dimensional, experiential form.
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia is open from May 10 to November 23, 2025.
Media contact:
Märta Aretakis Terne
Head of Communications
Better Shelter
+46702991880
marta.terne@bettershelter.org
