UN-Habitat, Singapore CLC to join UABB for 1st time

The U.N.-Habitat and the Singapore Center for Liveable Cities (CLC) will make their debut at the 10th Shenzhen-Hong Kong Urbanism\Architecture Bi-City Biennale (UABB) that is scheduled to open later this month, the event organizers announced at a press conference at the Civic Center yesterday.

The framework for a new “Shenzhen Urban Index” (UIS) is also expected to be unveiled at a launch event, according to the organizers.

A view of Shenzhen Talent Park and Shenzhen Bay Cultural Square in Nanshan, the sites of the main venue for the 10th UABB. Wang Haolan

The UABB will raise its curtain at the main venue of Shenzhen Talent Park in Nanshan District on Jan. 30, Wu Jun, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, said at the press conference.

The main venue will be linked to the recently opened, design-focused Shenzhen Bay Cultural Square to stage two coordinated series of events at both spaces. A parallel exhibition will open to the public at the Hetao Science and Technology Innovation Center in Futian District on Jan. 15.

Marking the UABB’s 20th anniversary, this year’s edition, titled “Urban Theater,” features 10 large-scale outdoor installations at the main venue that trace the biennale’s two-decade history and reflect China’s urbanization.

“This edition focuses on the power of theater, not only as drama, but also as a form of public space that conveys a festive atmosphere and vitality,” said chief curator Zhu Tao at the press conference.

“A theatrical approach allows exhibitions to remain ‘unfinished,’ continuously open to multiple possibilities and futures. That is the biennale’s most precious quality: it does not promote a single answer, but helps society precisely frame questions while keeping interpretations open.”

The parallel venue at Hetao is organized into eight major sections and two special units, bringing together leading thinkers, architects, artists and scientists worldwide to discuss the future.

Visitors attend the “Parallel Universe” exhibition, part of the 10th Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism|Architecture. The exhibition opened at the Shenzhen OCT Contemporary Art Terminal last December. Huang Jieyu

In addition to the main and parallel venues, six additional subvenues in Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Yantian, Longgang and Pingshan will each host satellite exhibitions that bring art and forward-looking ideas directly to residents.  A series of lectures and salons will run throughout the exhibition to advance the event’s core topics.

Founded in 2005 and now marking its 10th edition in Shenzhen, the UABB is billed as the world’s first international biennale dedicated to “the city and urbanization.” Organizers say that, to date, more than 2,400 works have been exhibited and over 1,400 activities have been held as part of the event, attracting more than 2.34 million visitors. 

The UABB is credited with the urban revitalization of areas such as OCT-Loft and Nantou Ancient City in Nanshan District and Jinpifang in Luohu District, and is regarded as a cultural engine driving urban transformation and high-quality development.