Representatives of the #Architecture program from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering will take part for the third time in an international event under the common title: LABORATORIO DI VENEZIA 2025.

This year's theme is Vite parallele. La Rinascita – Parallel Lives. Rebirth.

A meeting of invited representatives of universities from all over Europe will be held on May 5-9, 2025 in the city of Santa Maria di Sala, Italy, in the Theater Hall of Villa Farsetti.

The invited universities include:

• University of the Arts in Poznań
• University of Zielona Góra
• Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology
• University of Venice
• University of Portsmouth
• Academy of Fine Arts in Split

The conference will also be available remotely, which allows for the expansion of the group of participants and the presentation of selected topics.

The idea of ​​the meeting is to exchange experiences, ideas, mutual inspiration and searching for common topics for scientific and teaching activities.
The theme Vite parallele - Parallel Lives has multiple meanings. It can be analyzed in artistic, architectural and cultural contexts, with special attention to the ideas of rebirth and convergence between the human and digital worlds.

Main topics:

1. Parallel destinies of artists
   Presentation of biographies and selected works of artists from different eras and geographical areas, emphasizing similarities and contrasts in their individual journeys. The cultural influence of each artist will be compared in a historical context. Presentation of parallel destinies of contemporary artists from the participating countries, taking into account globally important topics such as innovation, environmental crises, cultural identity and technology.
2. Parallel paths of Poznan, Venice and Hvar
   These three cities have parallel histories marked by cultural and artistic richness, periods of glory and challenges of modernity. Exploring common paths and answering the question: how did Poznan and Venice influence and continue to influence the European artistic landscape in different periods? Professors will deliver lectures on selected artistic traditions and the development of cultural movements in each city, analyzing their similarities and differences.
3. Parallel Lives in Creation and Innovation
   This theme encompasses contemporary and digital art, exploring how today’s artists lead globally connected parallel lives—sharing ideas, tools, and languages, while living in different cultural environments. The Poznań-Venice collaboration reflects this concept, showing how artists and scientists working in different locations create parallel synergy that drives artistic innovation.
4. Human and Digital Dimensions
   Through video connectivity, the concept of parallel life histories also applies to the participatory format of the symposium. Speakers from Poznań and Venice will experience parallel engagement with the audience through their lectures and dialogues, both in person and virtually. This participatory module will encourage reflection on how art is becoming increasingly connected and parallel, both in the physical and digital spheres.
5. The Idea of ​​Renaissance
   The topic includes a reflection on the meaning of contemporary artistic renaissance and how the "parallel life histories" of artists and cultural movements can contribute to rebirth (new renaissance) in the contemporary context.

Text: Marino Zancanella
Prepared by: Alina Lipowicz-Budzyńska