Chile Wins Silver Lion

Commissioned by Cristóbal Molina and curated by Pedro Alonso and Hugo Palmarola, the pavilion focuses on one 20th-century object – a precast concrete panel produced by the Chilean KPD plant – that sits in the center of their space. Dating to 1972 and the Soviet Union's assistance with the "Chilean road to Socialism," the object is a political and ideological symbol as much as it is an architectural means of modernization, used to construct more than 170 million apartments worldwide. The curators contend the panel "becomes a fundamental symbol to the absorption of modernity," aligned with the Biennale's theme.

The jury* praised Chile's national pavilion "for revealing a critical chapter of the history of global circulation of modernity. Focusing on one essential element of modern architecture - a prefabricated concrete wall - it critically highlights the role of elements of architecture in different ideological and political contexts."

To see the three special mentions for National Participation, as well as the Silver Lion award and special mentions for best research project as part of Monditalia, click here.

*The Jury, selected by Director Rem Koolhaas, is composed of Francesco Bandarin (President, Italy), Kunlé Adeyemi (Nigeria), Bregtje van der Haak (The Netherlands), Hou Hanru (China), and Mitra Khoubrou (United Arab Emirates).