The British Council presents The Garden of Privatised Delights at the British Pavilion for the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, running from 22 May – 21 November 2021.

The exhibition explores the privatisation of public space in the UK today, and considers the role that design and architecture can take in supporting a more inclusive future.

Working with five teams of architects, designers and researchers, curators Manijeh Verghese and Madeleine Kessler propose new ideas for ownership of, and access to, privatised public space – from the pub to the playground, common land to the garden square, the high street to facial recognition technology.

Each room within the British Pavilion presents a new model for the future of public space through an immersive installation, designed to engage us in the debate.

'The global pandemic has highlighted the importance of accessible public spaces and made the need to address issues of inequality even more critical. The Garden of Privatised Delights proposes proactive ways in which we can work together towards a more equitable society.' 

Madeleine Kessler

'The high street, the pub, even the public toilet, are more under threat than ever before. How public space has traditionally been designed and used needs urgent rethinking, and this exhibition intends to inspire and encourage action to support those challenges.'

Manijeh Verghese
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