The Venice Architecture Biennale is back! This year’s edition—themed “The Laboratory of the Future”—is curated by Leslie Lokko, an academic, educator, and best-selling novelist. “Architects have a unique opportunity,” Lokko says, “to put forward ambitious and creative ideas that help us imagine a more equitable and optimistic future.” Because her father is a Ghanaian surgeon and her mother is Scottish, she grew up moving between both countries. Over half of the 89 participants involved in this year’s show are either African or hail from the African diaspora. De-colonization and de-carbonization are major themes, and revelation is the order of the day. —Elena Clavarino