About UABB Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (hereinafter referred to as “UABB”) is the first biennale in the world based exclusively on the themes of URBANISM and URBANIZATION. Co-organized by the two neighboring and closely interacting cities of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, UABB situates itself within the regional context of the rapidly urbanizing Pearl River Delta, concerns itself with globally common urban issues, extensively communicates and interacts with the wider public. It presents contemporary visual culture, and engages in internationality, avant-gardism, and the discourses of public interest.
Already held in Shenzhen and Hong Kong for nine editions, UABB has presented 2488 pieces of excellent exhibits and organized more than 1400 activities, attracted over 2.34 million visitors worldwide. And it takes full advantage of design, photograph, installation, drama, public art, thematic study and dialogue, and reveals the progress of urbanization and human habitation of Shenzhen, Hong Kong, China and worldwide from different perspectives.
Overview of Past Editions and Curators
2005 The First Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture
Exhibition Theme：City, Open Door!
Venue：OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (South Area of OCT-LOFT), Shenzhen
Exhibition Period：December 10th 2005 –March 10th 2006
The first Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture was held in the OCT-LOFT area, which was renovated from 12,000 square meters of 1980s industrial factory warehouses within an office and housing development. The exhibition provided various points of view to explore and understand urbanization and architecture-related humanity and sociology, and also emphasized the overall harmony and sustainability of architectural development and urbanization. Furthermore, the special phenomenon and striking issues about urban villages were observed and studied in the biennale.
Chief Curator：Yung Ho CHANG
2007 The 2nd Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：City of Expiration and Regeneration
Venue：North Area of OCT-LOFT,Shenzhen
Exhibition Period：December 8th 2007 –March 9th 2008
Th 2007 UABB(Shenzhen) aimed to explore and understand the expiration,aging and regeneration issues of urban architecture.As a turning point,it became a bi-city biennale from this edition. Since the two cities of Shenzhen and Hong Kong shared a neighboring location and salience of urban issues,the joint biennale was proposed to be organized as "one theme, two sites".
Chief Curator：MA Qingyun
2009 The 3rd Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme: City Mobilization
Venue: Shenzhen Civic Square,Shenzhen Bay Avenue and Yitian Holiday Plaza
Exhibition Period：December 6th, 2009 – January 23th, 2010
The 2009 UABB(Shenzhen) set up theme of "City Mobilization" aiming to test the possibility of large-scale, effective social mobilization in an age that lacks centralized force, spiritual solidarity and practical organization, and to create a top biennale which was also accessible for all participation.
Chief Curator：OU Ning
2011 The 4th Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：Architecture creates cities. Cities create architecture.
Venue：Shenzhen Civic Square and OCT-LOFT
Exhibition Period：December 8th, 2011 – February 19th, 2012
Terence Riley is the first non-Chinese curator for UABB (Shenzhen).His influence and international recognition has contributed to the success of the biennale and helped attract worldwide attention. The exhibition theme portrayed the endless interaction between architecture and cities, and provoked an in-depth discussion on sustainability and urban vitality. The strong architectural feature and highly professional and international performance of this biennale has won acclaim in and out the industry.
Chief Curator：Terence RILEY
2013 The 5th Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：Urban Border
Venue：Shekou Industrial Zone,Nanshan District, Shenzhen |Venue A:Value Factory (former Guangdong Float Glass Factory) ,Venue B:Border Warehouse (the Old Warehouse at Shekou Ferry Terminal)
Exhibition Period：December 6th, 2013 –February 28th, 2014
The exhibition theme of "Urban Border" featured the distinctions of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and UABB (Shenzhen) has reclaimed two neglected industrial sites in the Shekou, Nanshan District of Shenzhen, transforming them into cutting-edge exhibition spaces. With highly international participation and public interaction, the biennale presented exhibitions and academic forums as well as setting a public education platform. The new program"UABB School" has integrated resources and held a series of free programs \ activities for citizens during the exhibition. This exhibition was highly acclaimed by international professionals and the media to be "as good as the Venice Biennale".
Chief Curator：Ole BOUMAN，LI Xiangning，Jeffrey JOHNSON
2015 The 6th Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：Re―Living The City
Main Venue：The Former Da Cheng Flour Factory and NO.8 Warehouse, Shekou District, Shenzhen
Exhibition Period：December 4th, 2015 –February 28th, 2016
With the theme of "Re-Living the City", the 6th UABB (Shenzhen) aims to create better future,advocates the reusing, rethinking and reimagining of the current state of architecture and the city, reshaping people's daily life through design.The exhibition pays attention to the city itself, and cares about people's lives in it.
Sub-Venue：Xipu New Residence
Chief Curator：Aaron Betsky，Alfredo Brillembourg，Hubert Klumpner，Doreen Heng LIU
2017 The 7th Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：Cities, Grow in Difference
Main Venue：Nantou OldTown, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Exhibition Period：December 15th, 2017 –March 17th, 2018
From the perspective of urban village, the 2017 UABB (Shenzhen) explores and reflects on the urban development mode of China within a globalized context, and calls upon a diversified,inclusive, and vibrant urban ecosystem. While gathering leading international cutting-edge ideas and local experimental practices, it also interacts with local residents and intervenes in urban regeneration by means of "Urban Curation", envisioning a global and future-oriented example of coexistence.
Sub-Venue：Luohu District,Yantian Distric, Shangwei Art Village and Dalang venue of Longhua District,Guangming District,Shenzhen
Chief Curator：HOU Hanru，LIU Xiaodu，MENG Yan
2019 The 8th Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：Urban Interactions
Main Venue：Futian Railway Station,Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning
Exhibition Dates：December 22, 2019 - April 19, 2020
With the theme of"Urban Interactions",the 8thUABB (Shenzhen)discussed the new phenomena brought by the digital revolution parallel to the urbanization process, rehearsed the multidimen-sional and rich future urban interaction scenarios, and also has implications for the Guangdong-HongKong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the world. Think about the new relationship that develops and iterates between cities. The 8th UABB (Shenzhen) has realized the first integration of architecture, urban planning, science and technology, art, science fiction, literature and other disciplines,forming a comprehensive platform where practice and imagination are parallel,reality and virtual overlap, and present and future are intertwined. Both Shenzhen and UABB "city-exhibition interaction" relationship is also being formed between them.
Sub-Venue：Sha Tau Kok Bonded Zone of Yantian District, Bao'an international Art Design Center, Qiaotou Community of Bao'an District, Banxuegang High-Tech Zone of Longgang District, Guanlan Ancient Market of Longhua District, Guangming Cloud Valley, Dapeng Fortress of Dapeng New Distrrict,Xichong of Dapeng New Distrrict, Qianhai Cooperation Zone.
Chief Curator：Carlo RATTI，MENG Jianmin，Fabio CAVALLUCCI
2022 The 9th Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture（Shenzhen）
Exhibition Theme：Urban Cosmologies
MainVenue：GDH City·Jinpi Fang(Kingway Brewery Industrial Heritage),Shenzhen
Exhibition Period：December, 2022 to March, 2023
The 9th UABB（Shenzhen）presents the vision of "Urban Cosmologies", which focuses on the green and sustainable development of contemporary cities from the three dimensions of cognition, method and action, focuses on urban coping strategies in the context of global climate change, and explores the way of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Through continue to provide platforms for interrogations, dialogue and action, the biennale calls on young people to embrace a new way of life, and calls on Shenzhen to rediscover the development concept of "symbiosis with technological ecology", allowing the audience to observe and understand the ecosystem and civilization from the perspective of all things.
Sub-Venue：Qianhai Cooperation Zone，Nantou City of Nanshan District，International Low-Carbon City of Longgang District ，Dalang Fashion Town of Longhua District，Dawanshiju of Pingshan District ，Shenzhen Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone
Chief Curator：LU Andong，WANG Zigeng，Aric CHEN