Biennale Arte 2024 | Biennale Arte 2024: Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere

Biennale Arte 2024 | Biennale Arte 2024: Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere
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Biennale Arte 2024: Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere
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15 November 2024
Biennale Arte 2024: Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere
The 60th International Art Exhibition, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, is open from Saturday 20 April to Sunday 24 November at the Giardini and Arsenale venues.
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Biennale Arte 2024
The
60th International Art Exhibition
, titled
Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere
, is open to the public from Saturday
April 20
to Sunday
November 24, 2024
, at the Giardini and the Arsenale; it will be curated by
Adriano Pedrosa
and organised by
La Biennale di Venezia
. The
pre-opening
took place on
April 17, 18 and 19
; the
awards ceremony and inauguration
was held on
20 April 2024
Since 2021, La Biennale di Venezia launched a plan to reconsider all of its activities in light of recognized and consolidated principles of
environmental sustainability. For the year 2024, the goal is to extend the achievement of “carbon neutrality” certification
, which was obtained in 2023 for La Biennale’s scheduled activities: the 80th Venice International Film Festival, the Theatre, Music and Dance Festivals and, in particular, the 18th International Architecture Exhibition which was the first major Exhibition in this discipline to test in the field a tangible process for achieving carbon neutrality – while furthermore itself reflecting upon the themes of decolonisation and decarbonisation.
The Curator’s international exhibition
The Exhibition will take place in the Central Pavilion (Giardini) and in the Arsenale, and it will present two sections: the
Nucleo Contemporaneo
and the
Nucleo Storico
As a guiding principle, the
Biennale Arte 2024 has favored artists who have never participated in the
International Exhibition
—though a number of them may have been featured in a National Pavilion, a Collateral Event, or in a past edition of the International Exhibition. Special attention is being given to
outdoor projects, both in the Arsenale and in the Giardini
, where a
performance program
is being planned with events during the pre-opening and closing weekend of the
60th Exhibition
Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere
, the title of the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, is drawn from a series of works started in 2004 by the Paris-born and Palermo-based
Claire Fontaine collective
. The works consist of neon sculptures in different colours that render in a growing number of languages the words “Foreigners Everywhere”. The phrase comes, in turn, from the name of a Turin collective who fought racism and xenophobia in Italy in the early 2000s.
«The expression
Stranieri Ovunque
- explains
Adriano Pedrosa
- has several meanings. First of all, 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.»
Nucleo Contemporaneo
«The Italian
straniero
, the Portuguese
estrangeiro
, the French
étranger
, and the Spanish
extranjero
, are all etymologically connected to the
strano
, the
estranho
, the
étrange
, the
extraño
, respectively, which is precisely the stranger. Sigmund Freud’s
Das Unheimliche
comes to mind—
The Uncanny
in English, which in Portuguese has indeed been translated as “
o estranho
”– the strange that is also familiar, within, deep down side. According to the
American Heritage
and the
Oxford Dictionaries
, the first meaning of the word “queer” is precisely “strange”, and thus the Exhibition unfolds and focuses on the production of other related subjects:
the queer artist
, who has moved within different sexualities and genders, often being persecuted or outlawed;
the outsider artist
, who is located at the margins of the art world, much like the self-taught artist,
the folk artist
and the
artista popular
the indigenous artist
, frequently treated as a foreigner in his or her own land. The productions of these four subjects are the interest of this Biennale, constituting the
Nucleo Contemporaneo
.»
Indigenous artists
have an emblematic presence and their work greets the public in the Central Pavilion, where the Mahku collective from Brazil will paint a monumental mural on the building’s façade, and in the Corderie, where the Maataho collective from Aotearoa/New Zealand will present a large-scale installation in the first room.
Queer artists
appear throughout the exhibition, and are also the subject of a large section in the Corderie, and one devoted to queer abstraction in the Central Pavilion.»
«The
Nucleo Contemporaneo
will feature a special section in the Corderie devoted to the
Disobedience Archive
, a project by Marco Scotini, which since 2005 has been developing a video archive focusing on the relationships between artistic practices and activism. In the Exhibition, the presentation of the
Disobedience Archive
is designed by
Juliana Ziebell, who also worked in the exhibition architecture of the entire
International Exhibition
. This section is divided into two main parts especially conceived for our framework:
Diaspora activism
and
Gender Disobedience
. The
Disobedience Archive
will include works by 39 artists and collectives made between 1975 and 2023.»
Nucleo Storico
«The
Nucleo Storico
gathering works from 20
th
century Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Much has been written about
global modernisms and modernisms in the Global South
, and a number of rooms will feature works from these territories, much like an essay, a draft, a speculative curatorial exercise that seeks to question the boundaries and definitions of modernism. We are all too familiar with the histories of modernism in Euroamerica, yet the modernisms in the Global South remain largely unknown. […]. European modernism itself travelled far beyond Europe throughout the 20
th
century, often intertwined with colonialism, and many artists in the Global South traveled to Europe to be exposed to it […].»
In the Central Pavilion three rooms are planned
for the
Nucleo Storico
: one room is titled
Portraits
one
Abstractions
and the third one is devoted to the the
worldwide Italian artistic diaspora in the 20
th
century
«The double-room named
Portraits
, includes works from
112 artists
, mostly paintings but also works on paper and sculpture,
spanning the years of 1905 and 1990
. […] The theme of the human figure has been explored in countless different ways by artists in the Global South, reflecting on the crisis of representation around the that very figure that marked much of the art in 20
th
century art. In the Global South, many artists were in touch with European modernism, through travels, studies or books, yet they bring in their own highly personal and powerful reflections and contributions to their works […]. The room devoted to
Abstractions
includes
37 artists
: most of them are being exhibited together for the first time, and we will learn from these unforeseen juxtapositions in the flesh, which will then hopefully point towards new connections, associations, and parallels much beyond the rather straightforward categories that I have proposed. […]»
Artists from Singapore and Korea have been brought into this section, given that at the time they were part of the so-called Third World. In a similar manner, Selwyn Wilson and Sandy Adsett, from Aotearoa/New Zealand, have been brought into this
Nucleo Storico
as they are historical Maori artists.
«[…] A third room in the
Nucleo Storico
is dedicated to the
worldwide Italian artistic diaspora in the 20
th
century
: Italian artists who travelled and moved abroad developing their careers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, as well as in the rest of Europe and the United States, becoming embedded in local cultures—and who often played significant roles in the development of the narratives of modernism beyond Italy. This room will feature works by
40 artists who are first or second generations Italians
, exhibited in
Lina Bo Bardi
’s glass easel display system (Bo Bardi herself an Italian who moved to Brazil, and who won the 2021 Biennale Architettura’s Special Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Memoriam).»
«Two quite different but related elements have emerged – underlines
Pedrosa
– rather organically in the research and have been developed, appearing as leitmotivs throughout the International Exhibition. The first one is
textiles
, which have been explored by many artists in the show in multiple, from key historical figures in the
Nucleo Storico
, to many artists in the
Nucleo Contemporaneo
. […] These works reveal an interest in craft, tradition, and the handmade, and in techniques that were at times considered other or foreign, outsider or strange in the larger field of fine arts. […] A second motif is
artists—artists related by blood, many of them Indigenous
. […] Again tradition plays an important role here: the transmission of knowledge and practices from father or mother to son or daughter or among siblings and relatives.»
National Participations
The Exhibition will also include
88 National Participations
in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the city centre of Venice.
4 countries
will be participating for the first time at the Biennale Arte:
Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Timor Leste.
Nicaragua
Republic of Panama
and
Senegal
participate for the first time with their own pavilion.
The
Italian Pavilion
at the Tese delle Vergini in the Arsenale, sponsored and promoted by the
Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture
, is curated by
Luca Cerizza
. The project
Due qui / To hear
by the artist
Massimo Bartolini
includes contributions specifically created by musicians and writers.
The
Holy See
Pavilion
, promoted by the Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See,
Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça
, will take place this year in the
women's prison in Venice at the Giudecca island
. The exhibition, entitled
With my eyes
, is curated by
Chiara Parisi
and
Bruno Racine
The City of Venice participates with its own pavilion, the
Venice Pavilion
, at the Giardini of Sant’Elena.
Collateral Events
30 Collateral Events admitted by the Curator and promoted by non–profit national and international bodies and institutions, will take place in several locations around the city of Venice. They offer a wide range of contributions and participations that enrich the diversity of voices that characterizes the Exhibition. (See document attached herein)
Special projects realised by
La Biennale di Venezia
Austrian armoury
(Polveriera austriaca), Forte Marghera, Mestre
Ten works by the Italian artist
Nedda Guidi
(Gubbio, 1927 – Rome, 2015), in competition at the International Art Exhibition, will be on display in Forte Marghera inside the building known as the Austrian Armoury. «Invited for the innovative techniques she uses in her ceramic sculpture – explained Adriano Pedrosa – Guidi combines the figure of the expert artisan with the genius of art, not a ‘mere’ ceramic artist but a sculptor who was fundamental to the evolution of contemporary ceramics. »
Applied Arts Pavilion, Arsenale, Sale d’Armi
Brazilian artist
Beatriz Milhazes
(b. 1960), known for her work that overlays the Brazilian cultural imagination with references to western modernist painting, will present seven paintings and seven collages, all large-scale works. The project for the Pavilion, curated this year by Adriano Pedrosa and now in its eighth edition, is a collaboration between La Biennale di Venezia and the
Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London
Biennale College Arte
The selected projects for the 2
nd
edition of Biennale College Arte 2023/24 are by
Agnes Questionmark
Joyce Joumaa
Sandra Poulson
Nazira Karimi
. The 4 artists will receive a grant of 25,000 euros for the realization of the final work.
The artworks will be presented, out of competition, as part of the 60
th
International Art Exhibition
. Over 150 young emerging artists under 30 from 37 countries around the world have joined the call for participation.
Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement
The
Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement
will be awarded to The Italian-born Brazilian artist
Anna Maria Maiolino
and the Paris-based Turkish artist
Nil Yalter
during the
Biennale Arte 2024
awards and inauguration ceremony, that will be held on
Saturday
20
th
April, 2024
at Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of La Biennale di Venezia.
Biennale Sessions, the project for Universities
For the thirteenth consecutive year, La Biennale dedicates the
Biennale Sessions
project to institutions that develop research and training programmes in architecture, the arts and related fields, and to Universities and Fine Arts Academies. The aim is to facilitate self-organised three-day visits for groups of at least 50 students and teachers, with the possibility of holding seminars in the exhibition venues offered free of charge and assistance in coordinating travel and accommodation.
Educational
For the past decade, La Biennale di Venezia has been devoting increased attention to learning activities and has developed a growing commitment to educational initiatives addressed to the audience of its Exhibitions, to universities, young people, and children, from schools at all levels. In the past two years, the Art and Architecture Exhibitions had
130,298
participants in Educational activities in total, amongst whom
71,525
were youngsters. A broad Educational programme has been scheduled for 2024 as well, addressed to individuals and groups of students, children, adults, families, professionals, companies, and universities. All the initiatives  aim at actively involving the participants, and are led by professional operators, carefully trained by La Biennale di Venezia. They are divided into two categories: Guided Tours and Workshop Activities.
Catalogue and graphic identity
The official catalogue, titled
Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere
, consists of two volumes.
Volume I
is dedicated to the International Exhibition, curated by Adriano Pedrosa. The first pages of the book open with two short introductions by President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and President Roberto Cicutto, followed by an interview with the Artistic Director of the Visual Arts Department Adriano Pedrosa by Julieta Gonzàles. Part One of the book is dedicated to the critical essays and a number of “Conversations”, including interviews with Anna Maria Maiolino and Nil Yalter. Part Two is dedicated to the presentation of the artists on exhibit and is divided into two main sections: Nucleo Storico and Nucleo Contemporaneo. Each artist is introduced by a critical essay that explores their work, and is illustrated with a rich iconographic apparatus.
Volume II
is focused on the National Participations and the Collateral Events. The
Exhibition Guide
is conceived to accompany the visitor through the Exhibition.
The graphic identity of Biennale Arte 2024 and the publication’s design are by
Estudio Campo
(Paula Tinoco, Roderico Souza, Carolina Aboarrage) from San Paolo, Brazil.
The three volumes are published by La Biennale di Venezia
Partners and sponsors
The 60
th
International Art Exhibition was also made possible thanks to the support of
Swatch, Partner
of the event.
Main Sponsor
of the 60
th
Exhibition is
illycaffè
Sponsor:
American Express, Bloomberg Philantropies, Vela-Venezia Unica
Our thanks go to
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Rai
is
Media Partner
of the 60
th
International Art Exhibition and will follows the event with a dedicated offer on TV, radio and on the web.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Ministero della Cultura, the regional Institutions that each in their own way support La Biennale, the City of Venice, the Regione Veneto, the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per il Comune di Venezia e Laguna, and the Italian Navy.
We thank our Donors and the International Councils and Organizations, which are essential to the creation of the 60th Exhibition.
We especially wish to thank Adriano Pedrosa and all his team.
And finally we would like to thank the highly professional staff of La Biennale, who work with such great dedication on the organisation and management of the Exhibition.
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