ROME, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The central theme of the 17th edition of Venice's Architecture Biennale could hardly be more appropriate in a time of social distancing and quarantines sparked by the coronavirus pandemic: How Will We Live Together?
The event, formally known as the 17th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia, opened Saturday and will run through Nov. 21, featuring over 60 national pavilions and 17 separate collateral events.
The architecture Biennale was originally scheduled to take place last year, but it was delayed because of the pandemic.
China's national pavilion is among the largest, with works of more than 100 Chinese artists and architects on display. Meanwhile, over ten other Chinese artists and architects will show their works in the pavilion of San Marino, the tiny republic completely surrounded by Italian territory southeast of the Italian city of Bologna.
According to Paolo Rondelli, the national commissioner for San Marino's pavilion at the Biennale, the initiative is part of the "Friendship Project," an agreement signed between San Marino and China in 2015. He said it also helps mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
"We have a long history of strong relations with China and this pavilion in Venice is part of that history," Rondelli, a member of San Marino's parliament, told Xinhua. "Our goal is to open a window that will shine a light on our country as well as on some very talented artists."
According to Italian writer and art historian Matteo Altomare, an appearance at the Venice Biennale is a feature in the cap of any artist or architect.
"The Biennale is one of the world's greatest showcases for creativity in any field, whether art, architecture, cinema, dance, theater, or many other areas," Altomare told Xinhua. "What is so wonderful about it is that it is so eclectic in terms of the styles and cultures represented and yet it is always relevant."
That relevance is particularly on display with this year's theme -- How Will We Live Together? -- a nod to the post-pandemic world coming at a time when many parts of the world are putting the worst of the pandemic behind them.
"In the context of the acute political divisions and growing economic inequalities, we asked architects to imagine spaces in which we can live generously together," Hashim Sarkis, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and curator of this year's International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia said ahead of the opening of the event. Enditem