Curated by Eduardo Castillo-Vinuesa and Manuel Ocaña, FOODSCAPES explores the Spanish agro-architectural context to address issues of global concern. Bringing together more than two dozen architects, architectural studios, filmmakers and researchers, the exhibition encompasses five short films and an archive in the form of a recipe book. In this interview we talk about agro-architectural contexts, Total Recipes and the role of food in current ecological challenges.

This interview is part of KoozArch's focus dedicated to Biennale Architettura 2023 - 18th International Architecture Exhibition The Laboratory of the Future, curated by Lesley Lokko and organised by La Biennale di Venezia. The International Exhibition is open in Venice from May 20 to November 26.

KOOZ FOODSCAPES, the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 is “an exploration into the architectures that feed us, from the domestic laboratories of our kitchens to the vast operational landscapes that nourish our cities.” What prompted the project? How does the latter relate to Lesley Lokko’s curatorial theme on “The Laboratory of the Future”?

EDUARDO CASTILLO-VINUESA | MANUEL OCAÑA FOODSCAPES prompts us to focus on the overlooked but crucial architecture that supports our food systems.

In the current climate, energy debates often overshadow other significant issues like food—its production, distribution, and consumption—which dramatically shape our cities and terraform the earth's crust. Yet, the architecture facilitating these processes rarely garners attention, remaining mostly unnoticed despite its immense importance. Greenhouses, supermarkets, cold chains and wastelands may not grace the pages of glossy architectural magazines, but these 'bastard architectures' are essential for maintaining our way of life.

KOOZ According to estimates compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), by 2050 we will need to produce 60 per cent more food to feed a world population of 9.3 billion without relying on the farming-as-usual approach which would take too heavy a toll on our natural resources. You state that “Spain occupies a strategic position as a laboratory for a more sustainable future in terms of food systems and the architectures that build them, both because of the variety of its agri-food production and because of our country's exposure to the climate crisis.” How does the project investigate the Spanish agro-architectural context to address issues of planetary scope?

ECV | MO FOODSCAPES scrutinises the Spanish agro-architectural context in depth to contribute to wider discussions of global importance. We approach the food system as a whole, a metabolic architecture composed by an interconnected array of entities, from farms and greenhouses to supermarkets and logistic systems, all transforming the Earth's resources into sustenance.

Spain supplies Europe with a vast array of foodstuffs—from fresh fruits and vegetables to soybeans, rye, and livestock. However, this agricultural productivity comes with its share of challenges, such as animal rights, soil exhaustion, water shortages, and pollution. As our research, films and recipes demonstrate, food impacts are far-reaching and complex.

However, our project doesn't stop at simply revealing these problems. We aim to foster a comprehensive understanding of the food system's intricacies to inform future architectural and agricultural practices. As we face a world population set to reach 9.3 billion by 2050, our goal is to engage in discussions and generate case studies that would allow us to nourish this growing population sustainably. By presenting Spain as a microcosm of wider global issues, we hope to inspire changes that can be replicated and adapted worldwide.

KOOZ Although our present is strongly characterised by the energy crisis and the way we produce, distribute and consume food mobilises our societies, shapes our metropolises and transforms our geographies more radically than any other energy source, food still remains a neglected discourse. Why do you think this is the case? How does the exhibition seek to change this paradigm and encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing both within and beyond the discipline of architecture?

ECV | MO To disrupt the conventional silence around food systems, we've constructed an interdisciplinary platform, bringing together over thirty architects, designers, filmmakers and other professionals. This diverse pool of perspectives enriches the conversation, challenging traditional viewpoints and pushing boundaries.

Our central room houses an archive that provides visual substance to these discussions, with 150 documents illustrating ten Total Recipes. Unlike traditional recipes, which only cover the mixing protocols of the ingredients readily available in our kitchens, these Total Recipes go further to encompass the long infrastructural chain that is necessary for their elaboration. The sites and architectures that intersect with these unusual recipes have been vividly portrayed by photographer Pedro Pegenaute.

To broaden our reach, we've teamed up with TBA21 in Venice and the European Climate Foundation to offer a weekly public programme of collaborative research and events. This series extends our exploration beyond the physical and temporal constraints of the biennale, taking our message to an even larger audience.

The urgency of sustainable food systems cannot be overstated, and we believe interdisciplinarity is key. When architects, urban planners, policymakers, and experts across fields come together, we can drive transformative change. Together, we can turn the often neglected discourse around food systems into a global conversation of paramount importance.

KOOZ As we are having this conversation, the ongoing war in Ukraine, involving two of the biggest global producers of staple cereals, oilseeds and fertilizer, is disrupting international supply chains and pushing up the prices of grain, fertilizer, energy, as well as ready-to-use therapeutic food for children with severe malnutrition. This comes as supply chains are already being adversely affected by increasingly frequent extreme climate events, especially in low-income countries, and has potentially sobering implications for global food security and nutrition. How does the project situate itself in relation to this context?

ECV | MO By looking closely at the local environment, we can unravel the complex web of issues that connect all corners of the globe, including those affected by the war in Ukraine and the accelerating climate crisis.

The ongoing war, coupled with the escalating frequency of extreme climate events, is significantly impacting international supply chains and exacerbating food security concerns. As two of the world's largest producers of staple cereals, oilseeds, and fertiliser, Ukraine and Russia's conflict has serious implications for global nutrition, particularly for those in low-income countries.

In this sobering context, FOODSCAPES aims to draw attention to these intricate and interdependent systems. We explore how local practices, reflected in the agricultural landscapes of Spain, can mirror and connect to broader global dynamics. Our exploration not only recognises these severe challenges but also acknowledges the need for solutions that address the ecological impact, urbanisation and social dynamics integral to food systems.

We believe that comprehending and addressing these challenges at a local level is a vital stepping stone toward dealing with the larger, planetary issues. Our hope is that by exploring these issues organically, we can stimulate a meaningful conversation about food security and its interconnectedness with broader global conflicts and environmental changes.

KOOZ One of the three main elements which constitute the exhibition is an audiovisual project of five short films. What prompted the use of film as a medium? How does this work on bridging notions of accessibility and ensuring that events and concepts put forth within as that of the Architecture Biennale are indeed accessible to a broader public?

ECV | MO Film-making offered us a unique, accessible medium to navigate the intricate layers of the agro-logistic process. Each of our five short films focuses on a distinct aspect—digestion, consumption, distribution, production, and foundation—and was the result of collaborations among architects and filmmakers who brought diverse expertise to the table. These included teams such as Elii (Uriel Fogué, Carlos Palacios, Eva Gil) with María Jerez; MAIO (María Charneco, Alfredo Lérida, Guillermo López, Anna Puigjaner) with Agnes Essonti Luque; Gerard Ortín Castellví with Pol Esteve Castelló; Marina Otero Verzier with Manuel Correa; and GRANDEZA STUDIO (Amaia Sánchez-Velasco, Jorge Valiente Oriol) with LOCUMENT (Romea Muryń, Francisco Lobo).

Rather than simply showcasing existing work, we invited these professionals for their innovative thinking. We facilitated their collaboration in eclectic teams, pushing them to develop fresh narratives and approaches to the issues at hand.

For us, the Laboratory of the Future offers a space for experimentation, collaboration, and cross-disciplinary exchange, it's where diverse voices unite to address our interconnected challenges from a variety of perspectives.

With the use of film, we're ensuring the ideas and concepts within the architecture biennale extend beyond the exhibition's physical confines. We're not just generating dialogue within the discipline, but we're also engaging the broader public in these critical discussions.

KOOZ What does the future like from Spain’s national participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023?

ECV | MO The future is complex and filled with contradictions, but it is far from apocalyptic. FOODSCAPES accentuates the profound interconnections between food and architecture and their integral role in the ecological challenges we currently face.

This demands a comprehensive reimagining of the architectural structures and processes underpinning our food systems, steering them towards sustainability, equality, and resilience. The goal is not just about designing better buildings; it's about understanding and engaging with the broader social, cultural, and environmental contexts in which food is produced and consumed, acknowledging the role of both human and non-human actors.

This is what we have endeavoured to achieve. We have created a platform for research and collective imagination, enabling us to prototype new futures for food and architecture. These futures are grounded in the realities of our planet and the needs of its inhabitants, offering a pragmatic yet visionary perspective on the architecture of food systems.

Bio

Eduardo Castillo-Vinuesa is an antidisciplinary architect, curator, and researcher based in Madrid, Spain. He is Associate Professor of Projects at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid ETSAM-UPM, where he is an active member of the research group ProLab and the educational innovation group Dispositivos Aglutinadores de Proyecto. From 2017 to 2022 he ran Arquitectura, the centennial magazine of the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid (COAM). Since 2021, he has been Artistic Director of Medialab Matadero, an institutional platform managed by Madrid City Council, which brings together artists, designers, researchers, thinkers, scientists, engineers, architects, public policy makers, and many other agents to collaboratively address issues of social, technological, and ecological relevance. Castillo-Vinuesa was also part of the first cohort of “The Terraforming”, a design-research initiative of the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design that explores the ecosystemic implications of the Anthropocene for urbanism on a planetary scale.

Manuel Ocaña, born in 1966, is an architect based in Madrid, Spain. In addition to working as an architect, he has also worked as a road manager for a pop group from the 90s, as well as a steelworker, carpenter, and photographer. He has been an associate professor of architectural projects and a member of the Master Habilitation Committee at the Technical University of Madrid, where he has published books such as “Madrid Monumental: Exorcity”. He has also taught and served on juries at the European University, IE University, the School of Architecture at the University of Alicante, and PUCP in Lima, Peru. He has published his texts and projects in international architecture magazines such as El Croquis, A+U, Volume Magazine, Bauwelt, and Arquitectura Viva. The Foundation of the Official College of Architects of Madrid has published a monograph on his work titled “Risky Business”. Some of his notable projects include the Santa Rita Geriatric Center in Ciudadela, a building for assisted living configured on a single floor with 60 rooms arranged in a clover shape that face a system of gardens, Ocaña de España, a controversial housing development with a dramatic scenography in Ocaña, Toledo, and the headquarters of Casa Mediterráneo in the former Benalúa station in Alicante (2010-2013).

Federica Zambeletti is the founder and managing director of KoozArch. She is an architect, researcher and digital curator whose interests lie at the intersection between art, architecture and regenerative practices. In 2015 Federica founded KoozArch with the ambition of creating a space where to research, explore and discuss architecture beyond the limits of its built form. Parallel to her work at KoozArch, Federica is Architect at the architecture studio UNA and researcher at the non-profit agency for change UNLESS where she is project manager of the research "Antarctic Resolution". Federica is an Architectural Association School of Architecture in London alumni.