Dell’Angelo, researcher of water governance and politics at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) and lead of the NEWAVE water governance network, and Benedetta Tagliabue, architect and co-founder at EMBT Architects, present the immersive installation The Architecture of Virtual Water. The music was composed by Yeshi Silvano Namkhai, the digital media by Ati Sphere. The makers combine architectural design, environmental science and politics, musical composition and interactive technology to make the visitor reflect on the importance of water and the water justice.
Invisible water
The pavilion of The Architecture of Virtual Water consists of a wooden skeleton, shaping the Latin word AQUA. The walls are made of dismissed filter paper, worked by hand. Inside is an interactive installation with music and digital visuals that together tell a narrative based on years of scientific research on the often neglected global dimensions of water scarcity.
“The installation aims to make the invisible visible, raising awareness on the value and crisis of our global water resources”, says Dell’Angelo. “We need to be aware that to produce 1 kg of beef, 16 thousand liters of water are consumed and that nearly 2 billion people worldwide do not meet their basic water needs”, he continues.
“We wanted to experiment with fragile materials like paper to create a sustainable, lightweight pavilion that almost disappears,” Tagliabue explains. “We enjoy taking risks, researching and trying new things. It might fail, yes, but if it works, it could open the door to a new way of making architecture.”
Reusable
The creators used low-impact recyclable materials such as paper and natural wood. The installation has been conceived to be dismantled and reused after its presentation in Venice. The machines used to for the elaboration and manipulation of the materials were powered by solar energy.
The Architecture of Virtual Water will be on display at the Venice Biennale of Architecture until November 23, 2025, after which it will move to Barcelona for more exhibitions, symposiums and public events.
The project was party made possible by the IVM and by the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (ASI).