By Amal Issa 
Lebanon’s contribution to the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale is not a typical showcase of architecture. Titled “The Land Remembers,” the pavilion is curated by the Collective for Architecture Lebanon (CAL) and was selected by Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture and the Lebanese Federation of Engineers. The installation transforms the national pavilion into a fictional Ministry of Land Intelligens, a corrective institution responding to decades of environmental devastation.
The show calls out the destruction of Lebanon’s forests, coastlines and farmland through war and unchecked urbanization, reminding visitors that architects must begin with the land they build on【589144583786831†L212-L218】. Instead of a polished building, the pavilion is constructed from compacted soil bricks embedded with wheat seeds; over six months the cross‑shaped walls will sprout, symbolizing regeneration and the seeds of a more sustainable future【589144583786831†L253-L260】.
Inside, the installation is organized into four departments that combine research with activism. “Ecocide Reports” chronicles the harmful extraction and contamination of soil and water in Lebanon; “Counter‑Mapping” recovers landscapes erased by development; “Endemic Species” functions as a seed bank preserving biodiversity; and “Strategic Healing” proposes restoration methods grounded in indigenous knowledge【589144583786831†L224-L233】. Visitors are invited to sign a petition demanding greater environmental protection, turning the pavilion into a platform for collective action【589144583786831†L270-L276】.
Curators at CAL intend “The Land Remembers” to echo global struggles. The 2025 Venice Biennale, running from 10 May to 23 November, features over 300 contributions from more than 750 participants and 65 national pavilions【589144583786831†L284-L288】. Lebanon’s pavilion stands out by confronting ecocide head‑on and insisting that architecture must heal rather than exploit the earth.
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