Julia Albani

Background

About Julia Albani

I am a Lisbon based curator, critic and communication strategist, specialized in inspiring and facilitating exchange between individuals and institutions doing extraordinary things within the fields of humanizing architecture, urbanism and design. Trained as an Art and Architecture historian, I have worked in editorial and curatorial practice, communications and public relations in the context of exhibitions, conferences and publications since 2003. Since 2016 I am working with the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) to reinforce the institution's international positioning, as Associate Director, Communications and since 2018 I am leading the CCA's international public relations from my European base in Lisbon. My curatorial and editorial positions include: Curatorial Assistant "Deutschlandscape" German Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura (2003-2004); Project Coodinator at Urban Drift in Berlin (2005-2007); Managing Director at the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel (2007-2009), Assistant Curator and Head of the Curatorial Department at the Lisbon Architecture Triennial (2009-2012), Co-curator of the Portuguese Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2010 together with Rita Palma, Delfim Sardo and José Mateus; Co-Director together with Silke Neumann of the communication consultancy BUREAU N (Berlin, Basel, Lisbon) where I established the agency's architecture unit; Co-Curator of "Sou Fujimoto: Futurospective Architecture" at CCB in Lisbon (2014); Co-curator of the South-Central European exhibition platform organised by the Goethe-Insitut "We-Traders" in Lisbon (2015); Curator of the 36h hour factory of thought "Public Space" at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin (2016); Curator of the Festival about the Housing Question "Uma Revolução Assim"(50 years 25 April Revolution, 2025 in Lisbon). My curatorial and editorial work further spans the collaboration with video artist and photographer Nuno Cera, including "Futureland"(2009);"Symphony of the Unknown I (2012) and II (2021);"Distant Lights"(2022-23),"Acid Flamingo"(2024);"Distant Brains"(2024-ongoing); and "The Surface of Time"(2025-ongoing). Sometimes write myself as a freelance critic for international architecture magazines and culture desks (among them, Arqa, ARCH+, Jornal dos Arquitectos, DAMN, Bauwelt, Baunetz, Publico, Wallpaper. Electra, Azure). Concerned with publishing in architecture and curious about diverse perspectives taking shape of a book, a magazine or a newspaper, I started the pop-up bookstore and podcast A PUTA DA LEITURA at Gallery and Radio Antecâmara in Lisbon.