TAB 2024: No Time to Waste – model . Image © Tonu Tunnel
Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2024 has officially opened to the public. Hosted at the Museum of Estonian Architecture and across multiple venues in the center of the city, the event is centered around the theme “Resources For a Future.” The head curator Anhelina L. Starkova along with co-curators Daniel A. Walser and Jaan Kuusemets hope to open up conversations about emerging approaches to designing and building architecture, including the potential of reused and repurposed materials. The event is held between October and November 2024, with free participation.
TAB 2024: Curatorial Exhibition. Image © Tonu Tunnel
The 2024 Curatorial Exhibition delves into the foundational principles of architecture crucial for future development. It seeks to provide solutions to key questions about stabilizing architectural strategies, enhancing building longevity, and improving structural durability amidst global challenges like pandemics and wars. The exhibition emphasizes local resource utilization to ensure inclusivity beyond aesthetic appeal, reflecting on curator Anhelina L. Starkova’s experiences in war-torn Ukraine where architecture is shaped by public crises.
TAB 2024: Panel system in destruction, Ukraine. Image © Pavel Dorohoi
The exhibition is organized into 3 main sections: the first section, “Social Intelligence,” explores social urbanism, questioning how cities respond to unexpected challenges and limited resources while fostering community engagement. The second section, “Building Concept,” investigates the integration of materials and social dynamics in creating meaningful and safe urban spaces. The final section, “Material Formation,” examines the evolution of material use in architecture, addressing how material pragmaticism impacts urban policies and crisis responses.
In addition to the curatorial exhibition, the event also includes the TAB 2024 Symposium, slated for October 11th at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Notable speakers include Kristoffer L. Weiss, Emmanuelle Dechelette, Sascha Roesler, and Søren Pihlmann, among others.
TAB 2024: Curatorial Exhibition. Image © Tonu Tunnel
A highlight of TAB 2024 is the “For-This-Situation” Installation Programme Competition, curated by Laura Linsi and Roland Reemaa, which emphasizes innovative uses of repurposed resources and bio-based materials. Participants were tasked with conceptualizing public infrastructure that repurposes materials from local suppliers to create sustainable community spaces. Participants were tasked with conceptualizing public infrastructure that repurposes materials from local suppliers to create sustainable community spaces.
TAB 2024: No Time to Waste – model . Image © Tonu Tunnel
Installation Competition Exhibition. Image © Tonu Tunnel
Complementing the main events, the “Present(ing) Resources” seminar focuses on material circulation in space creation and addressing Tallinn’s vacant building stock. Moderated by urban sustainability expert Tõnis Arjus, the seminar invites theoreticians and practitioners to discuss innovative architectural solutions.
TAB 2024: Curatorial Exhibition. Image © Tonu Tunnel
As the last months of 2024 unfold, architecture-focused events from around the world are hoping to engage both professionals and the wider public in important topics related to the practice of architecture and its impact on society. Among them, the Timișoara Architecture Biennale has recently opened with a curatorial direction focused on concepts of “covering” and originality.