Poetry in Concrete: Italian-Brazilian Architect's Mainland Debut Opens at PSA
Transparent glass walls, a bold red structure suspended in mid-air, and meandering water channels inside a converted factory – these are not mere landscape designs, but poetic statements written in concrete by one of the 20th century's most pioneering female architects.
The Power Station of Art (PSA), in collaboration with the Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi, presents "Lina Bo Bardi: The Poetics of Survival," the first retrospective exhibition on the Chinese mainland dedicated to the legendary Italy-born Brazilian architect.
As a flagship cultural event of the 2026 China-Brazil Year of Culture, the exhibition showcases architectural models, original drawings, historical photographs, and video archives. Together, they offer a comprehensive look at the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award winner's multi-faceted contributions across architecture, industrial design, curation, and public culture.
Born in Rome in 1914, Lina Bo Bardi began her career in Italy, working as an editor for Domus magazine after her studio was destroyed during World War II. In 1946, she relocated to Brazil, where she embarked on a transformative path that reshaped her architectural philosophy.
In 2021, the Venice Biennale posthumously awarded her a Special Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, celebrating how her work turned architecture into "a truly social art."
This exhibition marks the first time PSA's decade-old "Architecture and City" series has highlighted a female architect, as well as its first deep dive into South American modernism – where Western modern principles directly engaged with indigenous cultural roots.
The narrative unfolds across four key sections: Arriving in Brazil, Civilization of Survival, Interlude: Resistance and Counterculture Experiments, and The Poetics of Survival.
If you go:
Dates: Through October 25
Admission: 60 yuan
Venue: 1st Floor, Power Station of Art
Address: 678 Miaojiang Rd
