From 1 to 3 October 2026, this reportage follows the opening days of the sixth Biennale Svizzera del Territorio across Mendrisio, Bellinzona and Lugano. Handle with Care, the theme chosen by Istituto Internazionale di Architettura, runs through places and encounters: caring for what already exists, for resources and for communities.
The opening at USI’s Academy of Architecture brings a discussion of housing to the Agorà Lio Galfetti at Palazzo Canavée. The red tiers fill up, speakers take turns at the microphone and the audience listens.
I photograph the relationship between the room’s architecture and its people. Wider views sit alongside glances and gestures, including encounters throughout the Academy.
On 2 October, the story moves outdoors. The walk starts in Giubiasco and crosses Bellinzona: railway tracks, buildings, public spaces and green paths become places to pause and talk. Discussions continue inside the Institute for Research in Biomedicine.
I follow the group as it walks and gathers around each speaker. Places enter the photographs alongside people, from open landscapes to quieter settings among trees and buildings.
On the evening of 2 October, the Actions take their place in Villa Saroli park. On 3 October, meetings at the Italian Consulate General alternate with life in the park: an outdoor lunch, visits to installations and conversations around tables.
After dark, the atmosphere changes. Light, materials and gestures accompany performances and the evening walk. The reportage moves from debate to shared experiences, keeping the relationship between people and the Biennale’s places at its centre.
I combine wider scenes, candid portraits and details to convey the rhythm of three different days. Talks, walks and convivial moments belong to the same story: what happens on stage and what takes shape between scheduled events.
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