The Bulgarian Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2025 presents Pseudonature, an experimental installation at the intersection of nature and technology, reality and simulation. Conceived by architect Iassen Markov, the project challenges the future of sustainability in a world where natural processes are increasingly mediated by artificial intelligence and human intervention.

A Climate Paradox: When the Sun Creates Snow

At the core of Pseudonature lies a striking contradiction: a snow-covered courtyard in the height of summer in Venice. A solar-powered snow-making machine produces artificial snowfall—only to bury the very panels that sustain it. The sun becomes both creator and destroyer, driving the system while simultaneously erasing its own work. This self-regulating cycle reveals the fragile equilibrium of sustainable technology: the stronger the sun, the more efficiently the system operates, yet as snow accumulates, energy production slows, requiring constant adaptation to shifting conditions. The project raises fundamental questions: Do we control nature, or are we merely balancing on the edge of its ever-changing forces?

Interior: A Reimagined Traditional Space

Inside the pavilion, an abstract interpretation of the traditional Bulgarian odaya (living room) invites visitors into a space of reflection, discussion, and collective thought. Once the heart of the Bulgarian home, the odaya has always been a place for conversation, interaction, and the exchange of ideas—now reimagined as a meeting point where natural, artificial, and collective intelligence come together to shape new possibilities for the future.

At its center, a virtual fireplace flickers, generated by AI yet devoid of warmth, underscoring  the artificiality of this reconstructed environment. A handcrafted carpet by artist Rosie Eisor weaves together tradition and digital aesthetics, reinforcing the dialogue between the organic and the synthetic. Just as the fragile balance outside is constantly shifting between sun, snow, and energy, the odaya reflects the equally complex struggle to find harmony between different forms of intelligence. Eisor’s carpet illustrates this tension through three mythological monsters, locked in a battle and bound together by a serpent—an allegory for the intricate and sometimes conflicting relationship between human, artificial, and environmental intelligence.