The second issue of the reborn magazine published by La Biennale di Venezia, titled The Shape of Chaos, is dedicated entirely to the theme of the Archive. This new monographic issue again opens a dialogue among the disciplines intrinsic to La Biennale di Venezia (art, architecture, cinema, dance, music, theatre) as well as fashion, science, poetry, literature, anthropology.

“Looking through the summary of the second issue of La Biennale di Venezia Magazine published in October 1950 – explains Debora Rossi – it is surprising to encounter the same critical spirit and interdisciplinary research The Magazine – continues Rossi – is reborn today with the same spirit and nature that has characterised it since its very first edition, guided by one essential keyword, ‘research’, a term that recurs in the constituting law of La Biennale. It represents a space for reflection and discussion on today, always with a view to better understanding and imagining the future”.

“This printed magazine – writes director Luigi Mascheroni in his editorial – thus becomes a record of papers. And of ideas, documents, memories, and collections. The archive is humanity’s hope (or illusion?) to create order and give shape to chaos, generating knowledge.”

The contributions in issue 1/25 are by Adonis, Matteo Al Kalak, Eleonora Barbieri, William Basinski, Cesare Bisantis, Boris Behncke, Sue Black, Irene Boyer, Silvia Calandrelli, Edoardo Camurri, Mircea Cărtărescu, Maud Ceriotti Giaccari, Roberto Cicutto, Giuseppe Conte, Maria Cristiana Costanzo, Pablo Delano, Okwui Enwezor, Marta Franceschini, Alessandra Iadicicco, Gianfranco Linzi, Luigi Mascheroni, Giulio Maira, Alberto Manguel, Pablo Maurette, Damiano Michieletto, Paolo Nori, Federico Pontiggia, Mariagrazia Pontorno, Carlo Ratti, Amerigo Restucci, Bruno Ruffilli, Debora Rossi, Wang Shu e Lu Wenyu, Gian Antonio Stella.

The cover is illustrated with a photograph of Archèus. Labirinto Mozart, an immersive installation by Ophicina and Damiano Michieletto. The issue is illustrated with photographic images from the Biennale Archive, the Archivio Luciano e Maud Giaccari, Bergman Center Foundation, Getty Images, Warburg Institute. It also contains photographs by Iwan Baan, Giacomo Bianco, Antonio Biasucci, Frankie Casillo, Giacomo Doni, Thierry Du Bois, Charles Fréger, Mary Gelman, Roberto Marossi, Domingo Milella, Alessandro Scotti, Giovanna Silva, Dayanita Sing, Gerald Ulmann.

The graphic design and layout is by Studio Tomo Tomo, Milan.

Text in English and Italian.