Page 24 - La Biennale di Venezia issue of World of Art Magazine

LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
58TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION

«The title of this Exhibition could be interpreted as a sort of curse – and relationships of the “post-war order.” But let us acknowledge at
stated President Paolo Baratta - where the expression “interesting the outset that art does not exercise its forces in the domain of politics.
times” evokes the idea of challenging or even “menacing” times, Art cannot stem the rise of nationalist movements and authoritarian
but it could also simply be an invitation to always see and consider governments in different parts of the world, for instance, nor can it
the course of human events in their complexity, an invitation, thus, alleviate the tragic fate of displaced peoples across the globe (whose
that appears to be particularly important in times when, too often, numbers now represent almost one percent of the world’s entire
oversimplification seems to prevail, generated by conformism or fear. population).»

And I believe that an exhibition of art is worth our attention, first and «But in an indirect fashion, perhaps art can be a kind of guide for
foremost, if it intends to present us with art and artists as a decisive how to live and think in ‘interesting times.’ The 58th International Art
challenge to all oversimplifying attitudes.» Exhibition will not have a theme per se, but will highlight a general
approach to making art and a view of art’s social function as embracing
«Twenty years have passed since, in this same location, I presented my both pleasure and critical thinking.
first Exhibition -President said - after the Biennale underwent major
reform in 1998. Let me tell you, they have been very interesting times. The Exhibition will focus on the work of artists who challenge existing
habits of thought and open up our readings of objects and images,
At the beginning we were criticized for the presence of the gestures and situations. Art of this kind grows out of a practice of
pavilions, considered old-fashioned in times of cosmopolitanism and entertaining multiple perspectives: of holding in mind seemingly
globalization, we live in times where some people raise the doubt that contradictory and incompatible notions, and juggling diverse ways of
cosmopolitanism might also have been a way for the most influential making sense of the world.
cultural and political realities to exert a sort of soft power. We are an
international exhibition that since those years put the word “open” and Artists who think in this manner offer alternatives to the meaning
“plateau of humankind” as the subtitle for all the following biennials.» of so-called facts by suggesting other ways of connecting and
contextualising them. Animated by boundless curiosity and puncturing
«During these years, we have increased the number of visitors and wit, their work encourages us to look askance at all unquestioned
found a new partner. Over the course of the past years, the double cost categories, concepts and subjectivities.
of transportation in the lagoon obliged us to ask for additional support,
and our expressions of gratitude and our wall labels included many It invites us to consider multiple alternatives and unfamiliar vantage
market participants. points, and to discern the ways in which “order” has become the
The increase in the number of our visitors has allowed us to simultaneous presence of diverse orders.»
considerably cut back on this practice, as you can see in the drastic
reduction in our expressions of gratitude, both when presenting the
works and in the catalogues. Our visitors have become our main
FIND YOURSELF: CARNIVAL AND
partner; more than half of them are under 26 years of age. Calling
RESISTANCE, MAQUETTE OF THE SOUTH
notice to this result seems to me the best way to celebrate the twenty WALL OF THE NATIONAL PAVILION 3.6 M X
years which have passed since 1999.» 6.2 M., COLOUR IMAGES © THE ESTATE OF
TIMOTHY PAYNE 2019; BLACK-AND-WHITE
IMAGES BY © FRANK WALTER, 1968-2018,
«We want to offer them an open gym - Baratta concludes - where DESIGN COURTESY OF © PRESERVATION
they can feel involved in encounters with the works and the artists, in GREEN LLC, NYC.
the direct discovery of the “other” which the work of art offers. To us,
it is important that, when entering the exhibit, the “public” becomes
“visitors,” who then become “viewers” of the works. First, the necessary
disorientation, then the involvement, followed by the discovery; it is
almost a fencing drill. To share this direction is one of the reasons
we have asked Ralph Rugoff to collaborate with us on this twentieth
anniversary.»

The Exhibition will develop from the Central Pavilion (Giardini) to the
Arsenale, and will include 79 artists from all over the world.
Ralph Rugoff has declared: «May You Live in Interesting Times will
no doubt include artworks that reflect upon precarious aspects of
existence today, including different threats to key traditions, institutions

24 WORLD of ART