Global Piñata as part of IABR’s exhibition Systems of Support
Global Piñata is on view as part of the IABR 2026 exhibition Systems of Support from 18 September to 29 November in Rotterdam. IABR is the International Architecture Biennial Rotterdam.
What if, in the middle of a disaster, we simply kept on partying?
For the exhibition An Optimistic Disaster Plan, artist, scenographer and costume designer Arjen de Leeuw created Global Piñata. The installation presents the remains of a symbolic party that has completely spiralled out of control: a smashed piñata shaped like a globe, empty champagne bottles, festive banners carrying sinister messages, and a table outlining the Amsterdam port area that has collapsed beneath the weight of the celebrations.
Global Piñata balances celebration and catastrophe, posing an uncomfortable question: can we remain optimistic without losing sight of the seriousness of the situation?
The installation connects to Systems of Support, the theme of the 2026 International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR). While An Optimistic Disaster Plan explores how architecture and design can respond to disasters, risks and an uncertain future, Global Piñata asks what happens when the systems we depend on come under increasing pressure.
De Leeuw adds an absurdist and confronting layer to Arcam’s research. The festive setting evokes a world that continues to push against its own limits, even as the consequences become increasingly visible. Traditionally, a piñata is smashed open to reveal what is hidden inside. Here, it becomes a metaphor for a world testing the limits of its own resilience.
