The 60th Venice Biennale, curated by Brazilian Adriano Pedrosa, explores the theme “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere.” The main exhibition is divided into two sections: Nucleo Storico and Nucleo Contemporaneo, showcasing a diverse group of artists. Pedrosa describes the Biennale as “a celebration of the foreign, the distant, the outsider, the queer, and the indigenous.” He is also the event’s first openly queer curator.
Highlights include a mural by Brazilian indigenous MAHKU collective on the façade of the Central Pavilion in Giardini, Turkish artist Nil Yalter’s work on migration, and Pablo Delano’s exhibition on Puerto Rico’s colonial past. The Nucleo Storico section spotlights lesser-known artists from the Global South, while the Nucleo Contemporaneo presents contemporary and outsider artists.
The National Pavilions showcase artists whose work aligns with this curatorial theme. Representing the USA, Native American queer artist Jeffrey Gibson presents a vibrant multimedia exhibition. Egypt’s pavilion, led by Wael Shawky, reenacts historical struggles against British occupation, while the Dutch Pavilion critiques colonial legacies through sculptures by a Congolese art collective. The Japan, Canada, and France pavilions explore themes of sustainability, trade, and oceanic connections.
The Arsenale venue features younger and experimental artists, such as Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, Puppies Puppies whose works focus on political and gender identity issues. Installations explore environmental crises, migration, and activism, including works by Dana Awartani and Bouchra Khalili. The event also highlights the contributions of queer and indigenous artists.
The Biennale mirrors global tensions—Israel’s pavilion is closed due to political conflict, while Russia is absent again, giving the Pavilion to Bolivia. Around the city, Collateral Events like Ukraine’s Dare to Dream and Palestine’s South West Bank highlight themes of displacement and cultural heritage.
Venezia, Italy
April 18, 2024
Greaves Productions 