A Biennale in Portugal takes its "Useless" theme literally, putting empty spaces in Lisbon to good use.

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In implementing the "Useless" theme for Experimenta Design's EXD'11 Biennale in Lisbon--its sixth edition--the group wanted the word to inform both the subject matter and, as program director Guta Moura Guedes puts it, "the way we use the city as an interface." This inspired the organization to appropriate several vacant urban spaces, including the historic Tribunal da Boa Hora, a 17th-century monastery that once served as a major courthouse during the Portuguese First Republic. The building, which has a grand cloister at its center, will serve as a hub, lounge, and information center throughout the biennale's two-month duration. Says Guedes: "It's a very charismatic building, and it's connected with our political history. But it was closed before, and it's going to be closed after."

Other "useless" interpretations: Emily King's multi-venue "Sidelines" exhibit, an examination of seemingly valueless collections (sticks, album covers, magazines, and nail polish), and Joseph Grima's "Utilitas Interruptus," which explores the fall of once-significant structures from Babylonia to the 21st century. At heart, the biennale is about transience. Naturally, then, the previously unused spaces will once again go empty when it's over. The city will at some point determine their fate.