\nDuring the opening weekend, held May 10\u201312, an international conference and workshop took place with the participation of 100 students and faculty members from Bezalel, in collaboration with top academic institutions such as ETH Zurich and The Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL London.<\/p>\n
The Bezalel School of Architecture led the conference and workshop, which focused on the role of architecture in times of uncertainty, crisis, and instability. Participants discussed issues related to war, trauma, destruction, and the climate crisis, with an emphasis on the connection between architecture, ethics, and spatial justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe broke through the walls of boycott and refusal\u201d<\/strong> \u201cCommitted to designing spaces that promote justice, equality, and inclusion\u201d<\/strong> Prof. Verbakel also addressed Bezalel\u2019s educational approach: \u201cArchitecture does not exist in a sterile void; it is born of complex social, political, and cultural contexts. At Bezalel, we strive to cultivate architects who can recognize these complexities and act within them with responsibility and sensitivity. Our participation in the Biennale is a statement of our commitment to designing spaces that promote justice, equality, and inclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 100 students and faculty members from the School of Architecture took part in an international conference and workshop alongside leading institutions \u2013 \u201cWe broke through the walls of boycott and refusal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":23047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3,2241,2276,65],"tags":[2807,5649,5651,2938,5652,5647,5653,5650],"class_list":["post-23044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-education","category-israel-advocacy","category-people","category-world","tag-architecture","tag-bezalel","tag-cultural-boycott","tag-higher-education","tag-international-collaboration","tag-israeli-academia","tag-spatial-justice","tag-venice"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe Venice Architecture Biennale is one of the most significant and influential events in the global world of architecture and art. This year, the Israeli pavilion \u2013 inaugurated in 1952 \u2013 remained closed to visitors for the second year in a row. \u201cIn a time of crisis in Israel\u2019s international relations, marked by boycotts and the collapse of academic agreements, we succeeded in breaking through the walls of boycott and refusal,\u201d said Prof. Arch. Els Verbakel, Head of the School of Architecture. \u201cBeyond Bezalel\u2019s presence in the vacuum that was left behind, this marks a significant achievement in ensuring the continuity of Israeli participation and activity at the Biennale,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/2-96-1024x872.webp\")
\nBezalel\u2019s presence at the Architecture Biennale follows its notable participation in last year\u2019s Venice Art Biennale, where Bezalel alumnae represented both Israel and Germany \u2013 a rare achievement on the international art scene. Once again this year, the involvement of the School of Architecture highlights the institution\u2019s accomplishments and its critical engagement in global academic discourse.<\/p>\n