Venice is celebrating the 60th anniversary of La Biennale Di Venezia Arte from April 20th to November 24, 2024. La Biennale Di Venezia is one of the most prestigious events in the contemporary art world. Art lovers, curators and gallerists travel from all over the world to attend the event. The first Biennale was held in 1895 and featured artists from Italy and Germany. Interestingly, the impressionists and post-impressionists of France were not extended an invitation to participate!
The European Cultural Centre has invited me to exhibit my installation “Rapturous Alchemy: The Corallium Series” at the Palazzo Bembo during the 2024 Biennale. I will be in residence in Venice from April 18th to May 29th. During my time in Venice, I will be a “roaming art reporter” for The Berkshire Edge. There are over 200 exhibitions being held throughout Venice during the Biennale, which translates into exciting art to show up in your morning edition of The Berkshire Edge.
My hope is to review two to three exhibitions twice a week in The Edge. You can also follow me on Instagram @virginiabradleyart. Looking forward to introducing you to some of my favorite contemporary artists as well new creative voices.
An overview of La Biennale Di Venezia:
The Curator
The President of the Biennale Board appoints a curator for each festival. The curator then selects a theme which sets the tone for The Biennale. The 2024 Curator is Adraino Pedroza, the Artistic Director of the São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil. His chosen theme is “Foreigners Everywhere/ Stranieri Ovunque”. Quite a timely theme in our unsettled world of today.
Adraino Pedrosa explains his thematic choice for the 2024 Biennale:
“The expression Stranieri Ovunque 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.”
The Giardini and Arsenale
The official Venice Biennale is divided into two sections, The Giardini and the Arsenale. It takes two days to thoroughly visit both locations.
The Giardini (the garden) houses 29 national pavilions and the central pavilion. Each country has curatorial autonomy to decide which artist or group of artists will represent their county. Many other countries have national exhibitions throughout Venice during the Biennale (Collateral Exhibitions). The Biennale Curator selects artists from around the world to exhibit in Giardini Central Pavilion. The practices of these artists tangentially relate to the curator’s chosen theme.
I am particularly looking forward to reviewing Jeffrey Gibson’s installation in the United States Pavilion. Jeffrey is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent. He is the first indigenous artist to be selected to represent the United States. Jeffrey’s practice draws from traditional Native American forms such as weaving, beading and metal work as well as pop art and the formal language of hard-edge painting. Jeffrey practice is based in Brooklyn and Hudson, New York.
The Arsenale is a Byzantine armory and shipyard built in the 12th century. The buildings and grounds are monumental. The curator of La Biennale selects a team of international curators to select appropriately themed artists to be exhibited in the massive Arsenale.
Websites for your reference
The official website for 2024 La Biennale di Venezia is https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/biennale-arte-2024-stranieri-ovunque-foreigners-everywhere and for Collateral Exhibitions see https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/collateral-events-biennale-arte-2024. This website has a good list of other significant exhibitions, https://universes.art/en/venice-biennale/2024 I will share other links after I arrive in Venice.
Feel free to contact me (virginiabradleyart@gmail.com) if you are planning to attend the Biennale and would like other practical information. I have had the good fortunate to attend The Biennale several times. You can read more about my exhibition at https://www.virginiabradley.com/rapturous-alchemy-the-corallium-series-in-venice-2024/
The 2022 Biennale
At the most recent Biennale, which was held in 2022, Cecilia Alemani, the Director and Chief Curator of New York’s High Line Art, was the first female curator in Biennale history. The chosen theme was entitled The Milk of Dreams. It was also the first time more women than men were represented in The Biennale.
I wanted to share with you some images of Simone Leigh’s installation “Sovereignty.” Simone represented the United States and was awarded a Golden Lion (the Biennale’s highest award) for her installation. Her monumental sculptural works explore ideas concerning race, gender, history and power. Simone transformed the inside and outside of the United States Pavilion.
Look me up if you happen to be in Venice for the Biennale!
