“Africa is a laboratory for the future,” says Lesley Lokko, curator 18th Venice Architecture Biennale — “Africa is the future, it’s an incredibly powerful place.” The writer and curator, currently founding the African Future Institute in Accra, has gathered 89 architectural and design submissions from countries including Uzbekistan, Ghana, Nigeria and Hungary for the latest iteration of the Architecture Biennale, which opens to the public this weekend. For the first time in the history of the Venice Biennale, more than half of the event’s participants are from Africa or the African diaspora. Here we pick 7 of the best pavilions, tackling topics from the problematic use of plastic to the need for free libraries in public spaces.

1 — Time and Chance, Serge Attukwei Clottey at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023.

2 — Dancing Before the Moon, Sandra Poulson at the Venice Architecture Biennale British Pavillon 2023.

3 — Ball Theatre, Muoto, Gilles Delalex and Yves Moreau, in partnership with Georgi Stanishev and Clémence La Sagna at the Venice Architecture Biennale, French Pavilion 2023.

4 — Eternal Plastic, SPACES Gallery at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture, American Pavilion

5 — Neighbors, Karin Sander and Philip Ursprung at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 Swiss Pavilion

6 — Joar Nango, Sami Architecture Library at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023, Nordic Pavilion

7 — Counteract, Kere Architecture at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023.