Grace Farms Foundation’s Project Design for Freedom Invited to the Intelligens CANON at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia

Grace Farms Foundation is pleased to announce that it has been invited to the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., curated by Carlo Ratti. Grace Farms and its Design for Freedom movement will be included in Carlo Ratti’s Intelligens CANON, a section of the exhibition that is dedicated to fostering dialogue about the evolution of ideas in architecture over the past 50 years.

The representation of Design for Freedom, launched by Grace Farms Founder and CEO, Sharon Prince, in Intelligens CANON brings forward the urgent humanitarian need for architecture to address forced and child labor in the global building materials supply chain. It also amplifies Design for Freedom’s three principles – to address embedded forced and child labor, pursue circularity, and prioritize ethical decarbonization. Design for Freedom’s promotion of circularity as a means of reducing the risk of forced labor upholds Carlo Ratti’s Circularity Manifesto for this year’s Biennale Architettura.

Sharon Prince said, “We have an audacious mission to remove forced and child labor from the colossal building materials supply chain, which is a basic human right and a matter of right and wrong. Every building tells a story of humanity — either of dignity or exploitation. The Design for Freedom movement lays out a clear pathway for human dignity. We want to inhabit a world that does not accept or normalize exploitation as a means to an end.”

Grace Farms Foundation Project: Design for Freedom: Eradicating Forced and Child Labor from the Building Materials Supply Chain in the Intelligens CANON at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, section 143.

Globally, 28 million people are held in forced labor, and 160 million children ages 5-17 are child laborers. Construction is one of the largest industries at the highest risk of forced labor. The display featured in Intelligens CANON, titled Design for Freedom: Eradicating forced and child labor from the building materials supply chain, focuses on the global concrete supply chain and the unethical labor practices that undermine the integrity of the building industry. Compelling photography, data points, Grace Farms’ Design for Freedom Pilot Project research process, and case studies illustrate the reality of forced and child labor, along with innovative partnerships that are modeling supply chain tracing.

l-r: Chelsea Thatcher, Grace Farms’ Chief Strategy Officer and Founding Creative Director, Studio Cooke John’s Principal, Nina Cooke John, and Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder, Grace Farms Foundation.

The display is adapted from the With Every Fiber exhibit on view long-term at Grace Farms. Designed by Studio Cooke John Architecture + Design and Pentagram and curated by Chelsea Thatcher, Grace Farms’ Chief Strategy Officer and Founding Creative Director the exhibit calls attention to the materials that make up the built world, and features rotations of art, research, tactile experiences, and audio recordings that dive deeply into the supply chains of common building materials. A virtual exploration of the With Every Fiber exhibit at Grace Farms is available online.

Chelsea Thatcher said, “Grace Farms is grateful to Carlo Ratti for bringing Design for Freedom to the Intelligens CANON and for recognizing how architecture and design can contribute to addressing global issues. This is the first time With Every Fiber has traveled beyond Grace Farms and features new content developed specifically for the Biennale Architettura. We are hopeful that with visionaries like Carlo Ratti, we can create a better world.”

Studio Cooke John’s Principal, Nina Cooke John, was one of the first architects in the U.S. to commit to embarking on a Design for Freedom Pilot Project, tracking fair labor materials in a public monument project supported by the City of Newark, NJ, called Shadow of a Face, celebrating the life of Harriet Tubman.

“The [With Every Fiber] exhibit draws visitors – neighbors from across the street and design professionals from around the world – into the space and invites them to contemplate what goes into making our homes, places of work, cultural spaces, and sites for commemoration,” said Nina Cooke John.

Grace Farms Foundation recently published the Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit, which provides research and essays on 12 raw and composite materials that are at high risk of forced and child labor. It is a practical application tool for understanding the supply chains of these materials, and prioritizing human rights and ethical procurement while meeting health and climate project goals.

Project location number: 143