The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship travels to South Korea

Architecture of Stewardship is part of the special exhibition Caring by Design, on view at Culture Station Seoul 284 from 17 September to 1 November 2026. Caring by Design looks at public design from a new perspective: not only as the making of what is new, but also as the practice of sustaining and caring for what already exists. The exhibition regards the city, the building and the interior as living environments that are constantly changing and constantly cared for, and it highlights the value embedded in the labour of repair, maintenance and upkeep. The focus lies less on the outcome of design than on its process, less on form than on time, and less on planning than on use. Built through the relationships between people, objects, time and space, the exhibition seeks to broaden our understanding of what public design can be.

The exhibition is curated by Chung Dahyoung (CAC – Curating Architecture Collective). It brings together 20 South Korean and international artists and designers, whose 33 works in total span photography, sculpture, installation, video and models.

The Pavilion – Architecture of Stewardship focuses on the multidisciplinary work involved in creating and maintaining architecture – from the design work of architects and engineers to the contributions of construction workers, conservation specialists, maintenance staff and cleaners – all of whom play a key role in creating and sustaining the built environment. Originally produced by Archinfo and curated by Ella Kaira and Matti Jänkälä, the exhibition challenges us to reconsider our relationship to the built environment and to the work of creating and maintaining it.

The Venice exhibition team included video artist Merle Karp, sound designer Jussi Hertz, exhibition architect Antti Auvinen and graphic designer Samuli Saarinen.

Read more about the exhibition seen at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.