As part of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, the Polish Pavilion will present the "Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture" exhibition, which ties into the tradition of approaching architecture as a means of protecting people from threats such as natural disasters, wars, and the elements.

The creators look into whether architecture can create a safe reality. They achieve this by calling forth culturally and technically based practices, giving people a sense of agency in the face of danger. 

Authors, photo by Maciej Landsberg/Zachęta Archive

An interdisciplinary team led by architect Maciej Siuda, painters Krzysztof Maniak and Katarzyna Przezwańska, and architecture historian Aleksandra Kędzior put together this theme into the exhibition.

Defense has been one of architecture's primary objectives from its inception. The concerns that its inhabitants face have changed over time. While individuals continue to seek refuge from the weather or the elements, they are currently also coping with the effects of climate change, war, or the possibility of mass migration.

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

The curators posed these questions to explore the theme in greater depth: Can architecture’s tools protect us from the adversities fate throws at us? What practices tied to building and use of structures can we implement to secure a sense of safety? 

The Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture exhibition seeks answers to these question in the superstitions and building practices cultivated to this day.

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

"Lares and Penates are deities that kept watch over the homestead in Ancient Rome," said exhibition co-creator Aleksandra Kędziorek.

"They are recalled as a guarantor of household security in many languages, and so ― much like Biennale Architettura 2025 curator Carlo Ratti with the word Intelligens, which is the main theme of this year’s exhibition ― we draw from them as a universal code of sorts, derived from ancient tradition."

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

The project's idea depends on two concepts: safety provided by following specific rituals and security guaranteed by laws. Solutions from construction, fire, and work and safety hygiene codes are included in the first. 

This is reflected at the exhibition with items that are already present in the Polish Pavilion, including alarm systems, emergency exits, a lock on the door, and a fire extinguisher.

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

The second construct concerns Polish customs and practices pertaining to building. These include the blessed lamp, which protects a family during a storm, the horseshoe placed over a house's doorway to offer good luck to its occupants, and the wiecha, a wreath hung on a structure during construction to assure its ongoing good fortune.

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

The pavilion's space and front are covered by the display arrangement. Members of the curatorial/art team conceived, made, or discovered the items that symbolized ancient customs and traditions. The team's combined efforts were crucial in the exhibition's preparation, dismantling the conventional role division.

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

The exhibition demonstrates that the line separating what is logical and approved by law from what is emotional and meets people's psychological needs is not always as distinct as we may believe; these two concepts can occasionally overlap and blend together. 

It allows us to examine how people who use architecture communicate their fears, whether they are reasonable or hardly noticeable. It offers a humanist perspective on architecture by utilizing instruments from several artistic disciplines.

Lares and Penates...., working process, photo by Krzysztof Maniak, courtesy of the author

Design sketches for the exhibition in the Polish Pavilion by Maciej Siuda, courtesy of the author

Design sketches for the exhibition in the Polish Pavilion by Maciej Siuda, courtesy of the author

The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will take place from May 10 to November 23 November 2025 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and various venues in Venice, Italy. 

Besides Poland's contribution, other contributions at the Venice Architecture Biennale include Swiss Pavilion's Endgültige Form wird von der Architektin am Bau bestimmt, Iceland's exhibition Lavaforming, Estonia's Let Me Warm You exhibition, the Romanian Pavilion's "Human Scale" exhibition, the Luxembourg Pavilion's Sonic Investigations exhibition, the Albanian Pavilion's "Building Architecture Culture" exhibition, the Turkey Pavilion's "Grounded" exhibition, the Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates's "Pressure Cooker" exhibition, the Finland Pavilion's "The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship" exhibition. 

Find out all exhibition news on WAC's Venice Architecture Biennale page. 

Exhibition facts

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

Curators: Aleksandra Kędziorek, Krzysztof Maniak, Katarzyna Przezwańska, Maciej Siuda

Polish Pavilion commissioner: Agnieszka Pindera, director of Zachęta – National Gallery of Art

Organizer: Zachęta ― National Gallery of Art

Poland’s participation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

The top image in the article: Graphic design by Krzysztof Pyda.

> via Polish Pavilion 

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