FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Venice, Italy – April 29, 2025
ReCall & Response: coleman a. jordan | ebo, Presents a Resonant Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennial, TIME, SPACE, EXISTENCE.
Exhibition Details:
Title: ReCall & Response
Artist/Director: coleman a. jordan | ebo
Dates: May 10 – November 24, 2025
Special Event Program Title: ReCall & Response – A Procession of Rhythm, Memory, and Celebration June 21, 2025, 5:00 PM (Art Night in Venice) The march begins at the Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi neighborhood
Exhibit Venue: Venice Architecture Biennial – Giardini della Marinaressa, Venice, Italy
Hours of Exhibition: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 AM – 6 PM
Admission: Free
coleman a. jordan | ebo will present a new body of work titled ReCall & Response at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennial, hosted by the European Cultural Centre’s TIME SPACE EXISTENCE exhibits from May 10 to November 24, 2025. The pavilion explores themes of African and African Diaspora resilience, communication, and continuity through interactive architectural design inspired by the djembe and talking drum traditions.
Constructed with wood joinery connections, ReCall & Response transforms the African drum into a living archive—an interactive space that invites communal storytelling, sonic engagement, and cultural reflection. Designed by jordan and his practice, studio caj.e in collaboration with students and alumni from Morgan State University, Tuskegee University, and Clemson University, and textile designs by the organization Talking Hands, the laboratory for social innovation that was founded on humanitarian support and protection for asylum seekers, refugee status. The pavilion foregrounds themes of cultural restitution, sustainability, and transnational solidarity.
"The pavilion is a sonic vessel—an architecture that remembers," says jordan. "Through rhythm, form, and collaboration, we bridge centuries of cultural disjunctions and reclaim space for Black expression and ancestral wisdom."
ReCall & Response at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale embodies a transcultural dialogue shaped by collaboration with Talking Hands, a refugee-led design studio and social enterprise in Italy. Reflecting the themes of repair, regeneration, and reuse, the installation merges modular craftsmanship with interactive sound rooted in African call-and-response traditions. Talking Hands' skilled artisans contributed woodwork and fabrication expertise, bridging creative solidarity between refugee makers and HBCU-led academic research. This partnership transforms the pavilion into a living archive of resilience—where cultural memory and collective expression become instruments of healing, inclusion, and joy across continents and communities. Touch it. Play it. Respond.
Our partners and professional collaborators who made this project possible are Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Science and the Cameroon American Council's African Immigrant Media Network. Special thanks to Pamela Johnson (MSU,Strategic Partnerships and Resource Development Officer). Our professional collaborators are Talking Hands from Treviso, and R3B of Venice, Italy.
"The pavilion is a sonic vessel—an architecture that remembers," says jordan. "Through rhythm, form, and collaboration, we bridge centuries of cultural disjunctions and reclaim space for Black expression and ancestral wisdom."
The exhibition opens with a public reception and dynamic performance on Art Night in Venice—June 21, 2025, beginning at 5:00 PM. The evening features a live procession led by Senegalese drummer Moulaye Niang and the Morgan State University Marching Band, culminating in performances at the pavilion including spoken word by The Space Makers, a ceremonial libation led by a Ghanaian chief, and a celebratory gathering with music and food.
About the Artist:
coleman a. jordan | ebo is an interdisciplinary designer and FAS Dean’s Visiting Professor of History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University for 2024–25. He teaches at Morgan State University’s School of Architecture and Planning, where his research explores the spatial histories and aesthetics of the Black Atlantic. His work bridges architecture, performance, and cultural memory, advocating for decolonial futures through academic and community-based design. His professional practice studio caj.e, focuses on social justice and environmental sustainability.
Media Contact:
Joy Davis
Email: joytdavis1@gmail.com
Phone: +1 443.610.5313
Social Media
Instagram: @recall_and_response and @studiocaje
Website: www.recallandresponse.com
Sponsors and Support: studio caj.e, Morgan State University, Harvard University, Tuskegee University, Clemson University,Talking Hands, the Cameroon American Council's African Immigrant Media Network, Pamela Johnson (MSU,Strategic Partnerships and Resource Development Officer), R3B, Pan African Heritage Museum, MCB Real Estate, Mantra Inspired Furniture, Lowes, Home Depot, ArchiAfrika,