What is IN SITU?
What if we built our cities around places?
IN SITU is Macau’s first Placemaking Biennale, a new platform where architecture, design, and community meet directly in the city. It is not a festival confined to galleries or conference rooms—it unfolds in public space, through spatial installations and participatory activities that invite everyone to experience, reflect, and take part.
Through open calls, the Biennale gathers architects, artists, designers, performers, and citizens—local and international—who will propose new ways to activate the city. Selected teams will build temporary pavilions, installations, and urban installations that reimagine public space, while local communities bring it to life with workshops, performances, exhibitions, street art, and cultural activities.
Over four days, these transformed sites become connected stages: places to walk through, to discover, to question, and to enjoy. More than a showcase, IN SITU is a living laboratory of placemaking—testing how design and collective imagination can strengthen the bonds between people and the places they share.
How does it work?
IN SITU unfolds in three connected layers: open calls, site-specific installations, and placemaking activities.
1. Open calls
The Biennale begins with international and local calls for proposals. Architects, designers, artists, performers, and community groups are invited to submit ideas for installations and activities that can transform public space.
2. Site Installations
Six installations are built across Macau—three from international teams and three from local ones. These pavilions, installations, and urban projects are constructed directly on-site, turning the city itself into the Biennale’s exhibition ground.
3. Placemaking Activities
Around these installations, local individuals and associations present workshops, performances, exhibitions, and other initiatives that engage audiences and animate the space. From cultural products to food stalls, each activity adds a layer of interaction and community energy.
4. The event
Over four days, from 11-14 December, the sites and activities are brought together through curated tours, openings, and media walks, creating a collective journey across Macau. Visitors can experience how temporary installations reshape familiar places, and how placemaking strengthens the connection between people and their city.
Open call for proposals
IN SITU begins with an open invitation for local and international artists, designers, and communities to contribute installations and placemaking ideas. The Open Calls encourage co-creation, giving participants the chance to shape Macau’s cultural landscape directly through the Biennale.
By sparking public dialogue on the role of urban spaces, the Open Calls make art accessible, participatory, and deeply connected to the city. This is the starting point for turning ideas into site projects and activities that transform public space into a living stage.
Artists, performers, designers, and community groups will be invited to propose interactive projects, workshops, performances, and other initiatives that bring Macau’s public spaces to life.
The Biennale will also include food trucks, cultural stalls, and other participatory experiences, creating lively spaces where people can gather, explore, and connect. Stay tuned for information on how to join this exciting experiment in community, creativity, and urban life.
Updates
Volunteer Call Now Open!
Join the inaugural IN SITU Placemaking Biennale (11–14 December 2025) as a volunteer and be part of the team bringing this citywide event to life.
A unique chance to engage with creators, support public activities, and contribute to Macau’s first placemaking biennale.
The wait is over!
The selection process for our Open Call for Spatial Installations has been completed, and the list of selected teams is now available to the public. Thank you to everyone who applied. Please join us in congratulating the selected teams!
Explore the list and learn more about the exciting projects that will come to life here!
Keep track of the latest IN SITU updates!
IN SITU is coming to life, and this is where you’ll see it happen. From the latest team selections to installations under construction and upcoming placemaking activities, this section will keep you connected to the Biennale’s progress.
Check back often—there’s always something new to discover as Macau’s public spaces are transformed.