In this post and the following, we will be sharing some of the more remarkable and intriguing works we saw at the 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice (Biennale Arte di Venezia, 2024). This isn’t our first time visiting it—we also attended the 56th Biennale Arte in 2015 and shared our experiences from that visit on this blog, starting here.
Enjoy some music while browsing.
We purchased a 3-day ticket; on our first day, we explored the Central Pavilion and saw several National Pavilions at the Giardini site. For an introduction to the Biennale di Venezia and to see their vintage poster advertisements, see our recent post here.
Shown above is the entrance to the Central Pavilion featuring a mural painted by the Huni Kuin Artists Movement (MAHKU) based in an indigenous territory in Brazil.
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 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.
These crises reflect the perils of language, translation and nationality, highlighting differences conditioned by identity, nationality, race, gender, freedom and wealth.
Suburb,1969 by Huguette Caland 1931-2019, Lebanon >>
In addition to the National Participations, the exhibition at the Central Pavilion is organized into sections: Nucleo Contemporaneo covering 4 subjects, the queer artist, the outsider artist, the folk artist and the indigenous artist.
<< Zubeida Agha 1922-1997, Pakistan
The other section, Nucleo Storico is concerned with modernisms in the Global South, gathering works from 20th century Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Under Nucleo Storico, exhibition rooms are dedicated to Abstraction, Portraits and Italian Diaspora in the 20th century.
Abstracto by Marco Ospina 1912-1983 Colombia
A key reference for the art in Nucleo Storico is the Casablanca School of painters from Morocco, founded in 1960, presented first time at the Biennale (photos below). Click on the image to see the full picture.
The works shown in the photos here are mostly drawn from the Nucleo Storico section focusing on Abstract Art.
Textiles are prominently represented in this year’s exhibition.
<< Rainbow Mountain Weather 2024 by Lisa Collins, USA Linen, mohair, nylon, polyester, wool.
Totem by Betina Lopes 1924-2012, Italy >>
Oil on canvas with colored straw and fabrics
The Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to The Italian-born Brazilian artist Anna Maria Maiolino and the Paris-based Turkish artist Nil Yalter. Two Nil Yalter’s works were shown in the Central Pavilion (photos below) and they cannot be more different in style.
Watch this space. More photos to come in multiple parts …
Our posts from the 56th Biennale Arte in 2015 start here. Vintage Biennale posters are here.
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