Continuing our exploration of this massive art exhibition, our previous posts focused on one of the two venues in Venice—the Giardini, home to the Central Pavilion. You can revisit those posts here and here. In this piece, we turn our attention to the other venue—the Arsenale.
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To recap in case you have not read our earlier post, the title of the exhibition Stranieri Ovunque (Foreigners Everywhere) has several meanings. First, that wherever you go and wherever you are you will always encounter foreigners— they/we are everywhere. Secondly, that no matter where you find yourself, you are always truly, and deep down inside, a foreigner.
The Brazilian curator of the exhibition noted that the backdrop of the 2024 exhibition is a world rife with crises concerning the movement and existence of people across national, social and natural borders.
Refugee-astronaut by Yinka Shonibare situated near the entrance of the Arsenale site is a life-size nomadic space-faring human adorned with African-themed fabric, equipped to navigate ecological and humanitarian crises.
At the entrance of the first exhibition room, the Mataaho Collective, a New Zealand art group and winner of the Golden Lion for Best Participant in the International Exhibition, has created a striking installation. Their work features an intricate canopy of shimmering ribbon-like material woven between the columns, transforming the space with a dynamic interplay of light and texture.
Pacita Abad (1946-2004) of the Philppines used the trapunto technique (paint on padded canvas) to depict the immigrant experience. Having lived in Hong Kong, Chris was familiar with the sight of Filipino domestic workers gathering in the city’s central business district, socializing amidst towering shopping malls and luxury boutiques. This scene vividly illustrates the stark contrast in status and wealth between these migrant workers and the local residents.
Filipinas in Hong Kong 1995
One notable theme that emerged from the curator’s research leading up to the current exhibition is the use of textiles. As observed, the participating artists have incorporated textiles into their work in a variety of creative and diverse ways.
Dana Awartani from Saudi Arabia – “Come, Let me heal your wounds, Let me mend your broken bones”
Susanne Wenger (1915-2009) – batik work produced by a textile dyeing technique learnt from Yoruba culture, an ethnic group native to southwestern Nigeria
Noud Jaouda recreates the botanical elements of fig trees in her grandmother’s Benghazi in Libya, by deconstructing cloth, dyeing it in earthern tones and re-sewing it into sculptural tapestries.
Hong Kong’s Trevor Yeung explores personal experiences (his father’s seafood restaurant and childhood pet fish companion) and observations of the connection between humans and aquatic ecosystems. The works contemplate absence and attachment that structures our lives.
Kiluanji Kia Henda (1979- ) from Angola – The Geometric Ballad of Fear (2015) consists of 9 photographs documenting white protective metal railings commonly found in buildings in Angola, a prevalent sight in the cities of the Global South.
Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic incorporate indigo textiles, soundscapes and performance to address how our world has been shaped by colonialism and migration.
Indigo textiles are historically connected with the trade of African slaves who carried the expertise of cultivating indigo with them to the Americas. The indigo plant originated from India. The textiles used in the installation were printed by a traditional technique in India.
Stay tuned for more photo from the Arsenale site of the 60th Venice Art Biennale …
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