Starting 10 May 2025, visitors can experience the exhibition “Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture” at the Polish Pavilion during the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. Prepared by Maciej Siuda, Krzysztof Maniak, Katarzyna Przezwańska, and Aleksandra Kędziorek, the exhibition revisits the idea of architecture as a form of protection — a shelter against natural forces, disasters, and war. As every year, the Polish Pavilion is presented by Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, with support from the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
“Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture”, or the Protective Function of Architecture
Can architectural tools protect us from adversity? What construction methods and building-use practices can help foster a sense of security? The exhibition “Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture” explores these questions by examining enduring beliefs associated with architecture and contemporary construction practices.
The concept of the exhibition rests on two pillars: safety and the sense of safety. The first encompasses solutions shaped by existing building regulations, fire protection standards, and occupational health and safety (OSH) requirements. The second draws viewers into Polish architectural customs and rituals, historically believed to ensure prosperity and ward off misfortune. The exhibition presents these two realms as equal and complementary, working together to provide individuals with a sense of agency in the face of threat. Together, they help residents feel more secure in an increasingly unpredictable world.
The title of the exhibition refers to the Roman household deities – Lares and Penates – who, in ancient times, were believed to guard the safety of the home. Today, they endure as universal symbols of domestic security, transcending their original cultural and historical context. The exhibition draws on this symbolic meaning, while also engaging in dialogue with the theme of this year’s Biennale: “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”
The project was developed by an interdisciplinary team comprising architect Maciej Siuda, artists Krzysztof Maniak and Katarzyna Przezwańska, and architectural historian Aleksandra Kędziorek.
Authors' team, press materials: Zachęta — National Gallery of Art
Another Edition of the Polish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
For many years, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute has supported the Polish Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The pavilion has been organised by Zachęta – National Gallery of Art for over 70 years. Poland has participated in the Biennale Arte with an exhibition in its own pavilion since 1932, and in the Biennale Architettura since 1991. The mission of the Polish Pavilion is to promote contemporary art, facilitate artistic exchange, and highlight pressing social and cultural issues.
At the 60th Venice Biennale last year, the Polish Pavilion hosted “Repeat After Me II”, an audiovisual installation portraying a collective portrait of witnesses to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The installation featured two video works recorded in 2022 and 2024. These recordings shared the stories of Ukrainian refugees who recounted their experiences through the sounds they remembered from the fighting. Then the audiences were invited to repeat the sounds.
The exhibition “Lares and Penates: On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture” will be open between 10 May and 23 November 2025.