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Hear Me Out
by “Mixtape Collective” 
Venice Biennale Architecture shortlist

Collaborators: 
Mixtape Collective (Farida Abu-Bakare of WXY Studio  / Lisa Cooke Ravensbergen / Tura Cousins Wilson of  SOCA / Kazeem Kuteyi of New Currency / Alexandra Lambropoulos of Infrastructure Institute / Shane Laptiste of SOCA / Phat Le of Infrastructure Institute / William Ukoh)
and 4DSound (Salvador Breed) 

Media: Canadian Architect / E-Flux

Team: Reza Nik, Averill Dimabuyu


Hand Illustrations below by Irina Rouby Apelbaum

As one of five teams shortflisted to submit a proposal to activate the Canadian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2025 - we teamed up with friends and colleages to form the “Mixtape Collective”. Our ideas were grounded on some of the work we have already been doing for the past 5 years.

A brief introduction below: 

Hear Me Out invites Canadians and exhibition visitors alike to explore the sounds of care, resistance, and joy related to placemaking. Through acts of listening, the exhibition shares stories from underrepresented communities in Canada who have carved out spaces within their cities to find place, and sculpts the pavilion with sound to reimagine our sense of belonging through active and passive listening.

As the Mixtape Collective, our team is dedicated to curating spaces that resonate with the vibrancy of diverse cultural expressions, particularly those of BIPOC communities. Hear Me Out reflects this commitment, aiming to dissect and reassemble the layers of urban soundscapes through an architectural lens, inviting guests to explore the spatial, architectural, and sonic dimensions of how to shape spaces for gathering and belonging.