Alchemy begins with a pursuit of transformation: turning base elements into gold; turning the ordinary into something rare, precious. This dark, strange chemistry is not about beginning anew, but reinventing what already exists—allowing for new meanings to emerge through altered forms.

The Central Pavilion's recent metamorphosis in Venice builds on the many interventions it has undergone over the years, with each iteration accumulating into a layered architectural identity, now reconfigured as a renewed exhibition space. The book 'Brutalist Korea' explores how Western modernist

and Brutalist forms introduced in post-war South Korea were subsequently transformed by local context into a distinct architectural language. Both Sahra Hersi and The MAAK foreground care, participation and lived experience in their practices, transforming public spaces via collective making & community engagement.

Perhaps alchemy was never about gold but our capacity to transfigure the familiar. What else, around us, is still waiting to be transformed?