Venice Biennale_2021

It is with great pleasure that we announce that SAJO has recently become, for the second consecutive year, Presenting Partner of Impostor Cities, Canada’s official representation at the 2021 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition.

Commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts, the project is conceived by the Montreal-based architecture firm TBA and curated by David Theodore of McGill University.

As a proud supporter of this Québec-led international exhibition, SAJO is pleased to announce and communicate information about Impostor Cities.

Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition offers unique exposure for Canadian architecture on the global stage, and a platform to engage in ideas, issues, and conversation surrounding contemporary architecture. 

If the recent fire at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral has reminded us of anything it is the importance of our built environment. We believe the exhibition presents a timely opportunity for us to showcase our architecture and present new ways to understand, design and experience Canada and Québec’s built environment, present and future.

Impostor Cities

Canada and Québec’s architecture are film-famous but unlike Los Angeles, London, or Rio de Janeiro, our cities rarely play themselves in film and television. Toronto stands in for Tokyo, for example, while Vancouver and Montreal masquerade as Moscow, Paris, and New York. Impostor Cities is an international exhibition that seeks to raise awareness of our architecture and celebrate the legacy of over a half-century of Canada’s most renowned architectural doubles.

As Canada’s official representation, Impostor Cities, will take over the Canada Pavilion in Venice, Italy from May 22 to November 22, 2021. Visible from across the Giardini, the exterior of the pavilion will be wrapped in green fabric, drawing attention amidst the biennale excitement and highlighting the controversial ‘tipi-shaped’ pavilion. Online and on camera, using green screening technology, visitors will see an iconic Canadian building replace the pavilion and transform a historic part of Venice into Canada.

Inside the pavilion, an immersive multi-screen video installation will induce new ways of experiencing Canadian architecture through film. An interactive library of stories of the real buildings will further highlight the role our buildings and spaces have quietly played in shaping the world’s cultural narratives through film.

We urge you join us in showing your support to Canada’s international display of its architectural landmarks.  

Please use the following link to donate today!

We thank you for your interest and consideration and invite you to visit https://impostorcities.com/  

We look forward to seeing you in Venice!