Film première: Once upon a Time, a Sheet of Plywood Arrived in Venice

In the run-up to the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, the Nieuwe Instituut presents the première of Once upon a Time, a Sheet of Plywood Arrived in Venice. This documentary short, made by Rotterdam-based architect, writer and filmmaker Onur Can Tepe, follows a sheet of plywood as it travels to its final destination: the Venice Biennale.

The documentary footage was shot during preparations for the 2023 Architecture Biennale. The project was supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Nieuwe Instituut, which together launched an open call to support architecture professionals. The call, entitled The Biennale as Metabolism, sought projects that would reveal the invisible flows of materials, waste and labour hidden behind the biennale’s exhibitions.

After the screening, Francien van Westrenen (Head of Agency, Nieuwe Instituut), Onur Can Tepe, Crispijn van Sas, Jan Jongert and Ester van de Wiel reflect on their participation in the 2023 Architecture Biennale. Jan Jongert (Superuse Studios) curated the Dutch Pavilion, with the exhibition Plumbing the System. Ester van de Wiel explored the residual streams that emerged from the biennial, particularly from the Dutch contribution.

Language: English | Location: Nieuwe Instituut | RSVP (Free)

Programme

• 19.00 - 19.30: Admission
• 19.30 - 20.15: Introduction and screening of Once upon a Time, a Sheet of Plywood Arrived in Venice
• 20.15 - 21.00: Discussion with Onur Can Tepe, Jan Jongert and Ester van de Wiel, moderated by Francien van Westrenen
• 21.00 - 22.00: Drinks