Desire Lines Concept Influences Taipei Biennial and Frankfurt Airport Design

Taipei Biennial 2025: Mapping Human Yearning

Curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, the 14th Taipei Biennial, titled Whispers on the Horizon, utilizes the concept of desire lines to structure its exploration of Taiwan’s history and the broader human condition. The exhibition, which remains open at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum until March 29, 2026, relies on three fictional anchors—a puppet, a diary, and a bicycle—to navigate themes of intimacy and displacement.

“Together, they form a triangular field of the intimate, the historical, the nomadic. Rather than offering an easy sense of place, they become conceptual compasses.”

Sam Bardaouil, Curator

The biennial incorporates diverse works, such as Anna Jermolaewa’s On the Line (2025), a Soviet-era pay phone installation that references a 1980s technical error allowing strangers to connect.

Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3: Redesigning Concourse Flow

In the world of architecture, the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) has applied the logic of desire lines to the design of the new Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport. Rather than forcing travelers through traditional, maze-like retail corridors, the design team analyzed digital simulations of passenger movement to create a more organic, plaza-like environment.

According to LAVA cofounder Alexander Rieck, the goal was to avoid the aggressive shopping malls typical of modern airside design. Instead, the firm mapped pathways based on how people move when they are in a hurry or looking for leisure, resulting in a layout that bends around lounge areas and cafes.

“They literally force you into a maze and add another five to 10 minutes of walking time. We wanted to go the opposite way. We wanted to find out what makes a shopping experience an interesting experience.”

Alexander Rieck, LAVA cofounder

Cinema and Music: The Abstract Resonance of Desire Lines

Beyond urban and retail design, the term has surfaced in creative media as a metaphor for non-linear journeys. Dane Komljen’s film Desire Lines, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in August 2025, follows a protagonist named Branko (Ivan Čuić) through the streets of Belgrade. The film eschews traditional narrative structures, favoring an associative, slow-cinema approach that explores the transience of human existence and the connection between urban restlessness and nature.

Similarly, the artist Saint Jude released a single titled “Desire Lines,” which he credits to an extract from John Berger’s 1972 novel, G. For the artist, the concept represents human potential and the world as a changeable, malleable thing, emphasizing that nothing is set in stone.