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Unveiled at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Negotiating the Boundaries of Legitimacy: A Healing Journey is a powerful installation by Daniel Winterbottom, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the College of Built Environments (CBE), created in in collaboration with Luka Jelusic and Jokum Jensen of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Using steel, wood, paint and fabric, the piece invites visitors to reflect on the ways we exclude, overlook or erase those deemed “other” within our communities.

Visitors pass through an ordered wooden outer skin into a space, one side of which is a more chaotic, textured interior, the other side has a softer, more embracing healing quality. The space encourages visitors to confront the contrast between what is seen and what is ignored, and the need to heal from the trauma of dislocation and stigmatization. Fabric panels represent those who have disappeared and swings offer moments of negotiation, calm, and therapeutic play. Together, these elements form a space of confrontation, empathy and transformation.

Click through slides to view photos of process and final project.

“This work embodies Daniel’s exploration of healing through design,” said Julie Parrett, Interim Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. “His ability to create spaces that are meaningful and deeply humane reminds us that landscape architecture has a vital role to play in culture and social justice.”

Generously supported by the Lorna Jordan Foundation and presented with guidance from the European Cultural Centre, the installation reflects Winterbottom’s ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion, and the healing power of design.

Discover more about the Department of Landscape Architecture in the College of Built Environments.