Industry Muscle: Five Scores for Architecture

*Photo: Venla Helenius. 2025.* Industry Muscles by Teo Ala Ruona.

Exhibitions

10.05.2025-23.11.2025

Venice, Italy

Industry Muscle: Five Scores for Architecture

Can performance art and the trans body change the way we perceive architecture?

This is the question explored by Finnish performance artist Teo Ala-Ruona and his interdisciplinary team in the exhibition Industry Muscle: Five Scores for Architecture, presented in the Nordic Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.

The exhibition is produced by the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki1, with Kaisa Karvinen as curator.

The team behind the exhibition 2025

Teo Ala-Ruona (b. 1990, Finland) works at the intersection of performance art, theatre, and choreography. His practice explores ecology and social constructs through theory and embodied speculation. Collaboration is a central part of Ala-Ruona’s artistic process.

The team behind Industry Muscle includes:

A.L. Hu – architect
Teo Paaer – scenographer and artist
Tuukka Haapakorpi – sound designer
Even Minn – dramaturge
Venla Helenius – visual artist
Ervin Latimer – fashion designer
Kiia Beilinson – graphic designer
Kid Kokko, Caroline Suinner, and Romeo Roxman Gatt – performance artists

Photo: Anni Koponen. Teo Ala Ruona.

About the Biennale

The International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia ↗ takes place every two years in Venice, Italy. It brings together architecture, art, film, dance, music, and theatre from around the world through exhibitions, festivals, and seminars. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors explore the Biennale across historic sites like the Arsenale, the national pavilions in the Giardini, and venues throughout Venice.

The Nordic Pavilion ↗, located in the Giardini and designed by Sverre Fehn, is a collaborative platform for Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The pavilion alternates between hosting art and architecture exhibitions every other year, with ArkDes representing Sweden at the Architecture Biennale.

The 19th International Architecture Exhibition takes place from May to November 2025. The Museum of Finnish Architecture ↗ (Helsinki) serves as commissioner, with ArkDes (Stockholm) and the National Museum of Norway ↗ (Oslo) as co-commissioners.