Giovanna Borasi

Giovanna Borasi (born 1971 in Milan, Italy) is Chief Curator of the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal, Canada since 2014.^[1] She first joined the CCA as Curator for Contemporary Architecture in 2005. Borasi was educated in architecture, and has worked as a writer and editor in addition to her curatorial activities.^[2]

Curatorial work

Giovanna Borasi’s exhibitions and related books explore contemporary issues and reflect her interest in alternative ways of practicing architecture. Exhibitions curated and co-curated by Borasi at the Canadian Centre for Architecture specifically address how environmental, political and social issues are influencing today’s built environment:

• Imperfect Health: The Medicalization of Architecture (2011, with Mirko Zardini)^[3]
• Journeys: How Travelling Fruit, Ideas and Buildings Rearrange our Environment (2010)^[4]
• Other Space Odysseys: Greg Lynn, Michael Maltzan, Alessandro Poli (2010, with Mirko Zardini)^[5]
• Actions: What You Can Do With the City (2008, with Mirko Zardini)^[6]
• Some Ideas on Living in London and Tokyo by Stephen Taylor and Ryue Nishizawa (2008)^[7]
• 1973: Sorry, Out of Gas (2007, with Mirko Zardini)^[8]
• Environment: Approaches for Tomorrow - Gilles Clément and Philippe Rahm (2006)^[9]

Borasi’s exhibitions are recognized internationally: “Imperfect Health: The Medicalization of Architecture” was also presented at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg^[10] and was named the best exhibition of 2012 by Design Observer.^[11] “Actions: What You Can Do With the City” was also presented at the Graham Foundation, Chicago,^[12] and in an abbreviated form at the International Architecture Biennial in São Paulo, Brazil.^[13]

Prior to her appointment at the CCA, Borasi co-curated an exhibition about asphalt with Mirko Zardini for the 2003 Milan Triennale:

• Asfalto: Il carattere della città, Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy (2003).^[14]

Editorial work

Borasi initiated her career as editor and writer for Lotus International (1998-2005),^[15] and served as assistant editor for the book series Quaderni di Lotus (1999). She was member of the editorial staff of the graphic design magazine Lettera (2000), a supplement to the magazine Abitare. She was Deputy Editor in Chief for Abitare (2011-2013).^[16]

Selected bibliography

• Borasi, Giovanna. "Studio ALBORI", The State of the Art of Architecture, Grima, Joseph, et al., eds. Zürich: Lars Müller Publishers, 2015. ISBN 9783037784754
• Borasi, Giovanna, ed. ‘’The Other Architect’’. Leipzig: Spector Books, Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2015. ISBN 9783959050401
• Borasi, Giovanna and Daria Der Kaloustian, eds. CCA on Paper. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2013. ISBN 9781927071045
• Borasi, Giovanna and Mirko Zardini, eds. Imperfect Health: The Medicalization of Architecture. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2012. ISBN 9781927071014
• Borasi, Giovanna, ed. Journeys: How travelling fruit, ideas and buildings rearrange our environment. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2011. ISBN 9788492861545
• Borasi, Giovanna and Mirko Zardini, eds. Other Space Odysseys: Greg Lynn, Michael Maltzan, Alessandro Poli. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2010. ISBN 9780920785881
• Borasi, Giovanna and Mirko Zardini, eds. Actions: What You Can Do With the City. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2009. ISBN 9780920785829
• Borasi, Giovanna, ed. Some Ideas on Living in London and Tokyo: Stephen Taylor, Ryue Nishizawa. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2008. ISBN 9783037781500
• Borasi, Giovanna and Mirko Zardini, eds. Sorry, Out of Gas: Architecture’s Response to the 1973 Oil Crisis. Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2008. ISBN 9780920785782

References