Given the well-known political and financial structures that underlie the world of architecture biennials and triennials, it is impossible to attempt a reflection on the content of any of these events without considering their production conditions. There are frequent contradictions between the ethical and political commitments evident in the pieces and exhibition discourses, and the processes that underlie them, whether in terms of labour, remuneration, curatorial practices or the policies of the institutions that promote them. While these contradictions reveal a good deal of cynicism or elite capture, it is nonetheless true that biennials are also the stage for important struggles for the future of the field, as they have great public visibility and become spaces from which to promote widespread change. The most recent Venice Architecture Biennale, which opened on 17 May, is an interesting example of this.