Page 46 - La Biennale di Venezia issue of World of Art Magazine

LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
58TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION

LUXEMBOURG
Written By Water

LEFT TO THEIR OWN FATE #2 Commissioner: Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg.
MARCO GODINHO, LEFT Curator: Kevin Muhlen.
TO THEIR OWN FATE #2, Exhibitor: Marco Godinho.
2019, RESEARCH MATERIAL. Venue: Arsenale
COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.
PHOTO: MARCO GODINHO

In line with the main themes that guide his artistic approach,
Marco Godinho’s work for the Luxembourg Pavilion looks at the
relationships that mankind entertains with the sea. Always in
search of new horizons, the Portuguese-born artist is a nomadic
explorer of the geographical, political and philosophical margins and
boundaries of the world in which he lives. Throughout the centuries,
the sea has fascinated humans and given birth to countless legends
and projections, prompting men and women to embark on daring
exploratory journeys that have durably changed and defined our
perception of the world. Yet beneath the romantic veneer of an epic
space that kindles the imagination lurks a more complex geopolitical
dimension. The beginning of the twenty-first century will forever be
marked by the waves of migration from South to North. Written by
Water is an odyssey that takes the reverse path of today’s migratory
routes across the Mediterranean, the cradle of modern society
and birthplace of founding narratives that underpin our common
heritage. In his installation for the Luxembourg Pavilion, Godinho
creates an organic landscape imbued with its own temporality.
Here, the sea appears as a world in perpetual motion in which the
thoughts and memories associated with it become unspecified
nomadic variables, a space onto which spectators can project their
own stories cued by the elements assembled by the artist. (excerpt)
MADAGASCAR

I Have Forgotten The Night
I HAVE FORGOTTEN Commissioner: Ministry of Communication and Culture of the Republic of Madagascar.
THE NIGHT, 2019 Curators: Rina Ralay Ranaivo, Emmanuel Daydé.
COURTESY OF JOËL Exhibitor: Joël Andrianomearisoa.
ANDRIANOMEARISOA Venue: Arsenale
© PATRICE SOUR

Madagascar will take part in the 58th International Art Exhibition
of La Biennale di Venezia with its own pavilion for the first time
in its history. Joël Andrianomearisoa was chosen to represent his
country alongside curators Rina Ralay Ranaivo and Emmanuel
Daydé, due to the invention and maturity of his work, his
international reputation as well as the unconditional support of
his professional network. This first International Art Exhibition
of La Biennale di Venezia is a historic event for Madagascar. It
is a sign of dynamism and modernity for the Malagasy nation.
It reflects a positive image of the country at national and
international levels, despite the all too frequent predominance
of either exotic or miserable images associated with it. It is a
message of hope and willingness to put the creative forces of
Madagascar in the mainstream of the world. The artist’s work
develops around a non-explicit, often abstract, narration, which
everyone perceives yet cannot put a name to. His world of forms
weaves his work into sequences often mired in a deep sadness
caused by an absence that is impossible to fill. And for that he
uses, in no particular hierarchical order, sound in its immaterial
dimension or the book in its hyper materiality, silky textile or
rough plastic, black or the most shimmering colors. (excerpt)

46 WORLD of ART