Inside the pavilion, a panoramic projection illustrates the spatial and material causes and consequences of the urban climate crisis, subjecting visitors to an initial "stress test." A cinematic collage, composed of heat maps, animations, photographs, and superimposed data, demonstrates the magnitude of urban overheating.
With the aim of inspiring hope and calling for immediate action, the film, developed by the curatorial team, producer Corinna von Ortenburg, and the design studio flora&faunavisions, also projects positive models of urban transformation to illustrate how implementing simple and effective strategies is both possible and necessary.
"STRESSTEST", the German Pavilion exhibition at the Bienal de Venecia. Photograph by Patricia Parinejad.
Stress and Destress
Through the film, the exhibition expands toward two opposing poles: stress and destress. In the space that represents stress within the pavilion, a rudimentary steel sculpture by the artistic duo Rasthofer/Neumaier dominates the room, channels movements, stagnates air, and stores heat. In this way, visitors experience a congested and overheated climate, experiencing the reality of urban heat firsthand. An infrared camera reflects real-time images on a series of screens showing how the visitor's body temperature changes in response to the ambient temperature.
In contrast, the stress spaces offer an oasis: a cool, calm, and relaxing environment. Tall trees provide shade, along with green leaves that filter light, allowing the temperature to drop and air to circulate, creating a pleasant microclimate for visitors. These exhibition spaces present concrete solutions where architecture, landscaping, urban planning, technology, and science strategically come together to serenely prepare our cities for the future.
"STRESSTEST", the German Pavilion exhibition at the Bienal de Venecia. Photograph by Patricia Parinejad.
Swarm and Signs
“STRESSTEST” provides a link between abstract knowledge and physical experience through art. A set of red and white striped windsocks rise from the pavilion's roof, making it possible to identify the building from afar. Each windsock follows its own rhythm, influenced by height, position, and changes in air flow.
Complementarily, artist Christoph Brech's filigree installation, titled "Schwarm," refers to the uncertainties and dynamics of a changing climate. It poetically addresses the complex interaction of weather phenomena by making air currents visible. Like the windsocks on the ceiling, Brech's video composition, "Signs at the Pavilion Entrance," uses the sound of a bell to remind us of the critical moment when decisive action has become urgent and necessary.
"STRESSTEST", the German Pavilion exhibition at the Bienal de Venecia. Photograph by Patricia Parinejad.
Natural, artificial, collective
In tune with "Intelligence. Natural. Artificial. Collective”, the central theme structuring the 19th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia 2025, “STRESSTEST” shows that architecture and landscape planning not only can, but must collaborate in an interdisciplinary manner to create healthy, resilient and more livable cities.
