59th Venice Biennale

The 59th Venice Biennale is an international contemporary art exhibition held between April and November 2022. The Venice Biennale takes place biennially in Venice, Italy. Artistic director Cecilia Alemani curated its central exhibition.

59th Venice Biennale
Genre	Art exhibition
Begins	April 23, 2022
Ends	November 27, 2022
Location(s)	Venice
Country	Italy
Previous event	58th Venice Biennale (2019)
Next event	60th Venice Biennale (2024)

Background

The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", participation in the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theater.^[1]

Outside of the central, international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings, such as the 30 housed on the Giardini, are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well.^[1] Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in the Venice Arsenale and palazzos throughout the city.^[2]

The 59th Biennale will run from April 23, 2022, through November 27.^[3] Originally scheduled for the year prior, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the 2020 architecture biennale into 2021 and the art biennale into 2022. As a result of the displacement, the art biennale will coincide with Documenta 15, another major contemporary art exhibition.^[4]

Central exhibition

Cecilia Alemani, chief curator of High Line Art, will serve as the 59th Venice Biennale's artistic director. Her central exhibition is titled "The Milk of Dreams", after a book by the English-born Mexican surrealist artist Leonora Carrington filled with magical tales in which everything can be transformed through imagination.^[5] The exhibition follows three themes: body representation and metamorphosis, human relationships with technology, and the relationship between the body and Earth.^[5] Alemani developed the concept from conversations with artists and questions following the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3] Her curator's essay invokes feminist activist Silvia Federici and science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin.^[6]

"The Milk of Dreams" features 213 artists. Unlike prior shows, in which the majority of artists identified as male, instead less than 10 percent of Alemani's artists identified as male. Alemani underplayed this element and did not describe her show as overtly feminist, but has spoken about questioning the "universal ideal of the white, male 'Man of Reason' as the fixed center of the universe and measure of all things".^[6] Many of the central exhibition's artists are associated with the 20th century avant-garde. Nearly half of Alemani's artists are deceased, much higher in proportion than prior Biennales. These avant-garde artists are underrepresented, having been underrecognized in their time, and the Biennale services to highlight their work.^[7]

After the exhibition was postponed one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Alemani hoped to use the extra year to prepare new projects and use the opening, which now precedes the Italian Liberation Day, to mark an occasion of togetherness.^[4] Alemani is the first Italian woman to serve as the Biennale's artistic director.^[8] She previously curated the 2017 Biennale's Italian pavilion. Her husband, Massimiliano Gioni, curated the 2013 Biennale.^[9]

National pavilions

A total of 80 national pavilions participated in the 59th edition, with five countries participating for the first time: Cameroon, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and Uganda.^[10][8] Each country selected artists to represent their pavilion, ostensibly with an eye to the Biennale's theme.^[1] As a sign of solidarity Ukraine and against war, Russian pavilion curator Raimundas Malašauskas withdrew his project and Russia's pavilion remained closed.^[11] In a statement, Alexandra Sukhareva, one of the artists participating in Russia's Pavilion, posted in a statement on Instagram that “there is no place for art when civilians are dying under the fire of missiles, when citizens of Ukraine are hiding in shelters [and] when Russian protestors are getting silenced”.^[12]

Unlike prior biennales, in which there were clear frontrunners for the jury recognition of best national pavilion, such as Germany's Faust in 2017 or Lithuania's Sun & Sea in 2019, there was no such frontrunner in 2022.^[13]

This section is an excerpt from List of national pavilions at the 59th Venice Biennale § National pavilions.[edit]

Nation/ region	Location	Artist(s)	Curator(s)	Ref
Albania	Arsenale	Lumturi Blloshmi	Adela Demetja	^[14]
Argentina	Arsenale	Mónica Heller	Alejo Ponce de León	^[15]
Australia	Giardini	Marco Fusinato [Wikidata]	Alexie Glass-Kantor	^[16]^[17]
Austria	Giardini	Jakob Lena Knebl [de] and Ashley Hans Scheirl	Karola Kraus [de]	^[18]^[19]
Belgium	Giardini	Francis Alÿs	Hilde Teerlinck	^[20]
Bolivia	Around Venice	Warmichacha Collective	Roberto Aguilar Quisbert - Mamani Mamani, Judith Cuba
Brazil	Giardini	Jonathas de Andrade	Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, José Olympio da Veiga Pereira	^[15]
Canada	Giardini	Stan Douglas	Reid Shier	^[21]^[15]
Catalonia	Around Venice	Lara Fluxà	Oriol Fondevila	^[15]
Denmark	Giardini	Uffe Isolotto	Jacob Lillemose	^[15]
Estonia	Giardini (Dutch pavilion)	Kristina Norman and Bita Razavi	Corina Apostol, Maria Arusoo	^[15]
Finland	Giardini	Pilvi Takala	Christina Li	^[22]
France	Giardini	Zineb Sedira		^[23]^[24]
Germany	Giardini	Maria Eichhorn	Yilmaz Dziewior	^[25]
Great Britain	Giardini	Sonia Boyce	TBD	^[26]
Hong Kong	Around Venice	Angela Su	Freya Chou	^[27]
Iceland	Around Venice	Sigurður Guðjónsson	Mónica Bello	^[16]
Ireland	Arsenale	Niamh O'Malley	Temple Bar Gallery + Studios Curatorial Team	^[28]
Israel	Giardini	Ilit Azoulay	Dr. Shelley Harten	^[29]
Italy	Arsenale	Gian Maria Tosatti	Eugenio Viola	^[30]
Republic of Kosovo	Arsenale	Jakup Ferri	Inke Arns
Luxembourg	Around Venice	Tina Gillen		^[16]
Malta	Arsenale	Arcangelo Sassolino, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, Brian Schembri	Keith Sciberras, Jeffrey Uslip	[1]
Namibia	La Certosa	Renn	Marco Furio Ferrario	^[31]
Netherlands	Around Venice	Melanie Bonajo	Maaike Gouwenberg, Geir Haraldseth, Soraya Pol	^[32]
Nepal	Around Venice	Tsherin Sherpa	Sheelasha Rajbhandari, Hit Man Gurung	^[33]^[34]
New Zealand	Around Venice	Yuki Kihara	Natalie King	^[16]^[35]
Nordic Pavilion	Giardini	Pauliina Feodoroff, Máret Ánne Sara, Anders Sunna		^[36]
Poland	Giardini	Małgorzata Mirga-Tas	Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Wojciech Szymański, Joanna Warsza	^[37]
Spain	Giardini	Ignasi Aballí	Beatriz Espejo	^[16]
Switzerland	Giardini	Latifa Echakhch	Francesco Stocchi	^[38]
Taiwan	Around Venice	Sakuliu Pavavaljung	Patrick Flores	^[16]
Turkey	Around Venice	Füsun Onur	Bige Örer	^[39]
Ukraine	Arsenale	Pavlo Makov	Lizaveta German, Maria Lanko, Borys Filonenko	^[34]
United Arab Emirates	Around Venice	Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim	Maya Allison	^[40]
United States	Giardini	Simone Leigh	Eva Respini	^[41]
Venezuela	Giardini	Palmira Correa, César Vázquez, Mila Quast, Jorge Recio	Zacarías García	^[42]

Awards

A jury presented the three main prizes:

• Golden Lion for best national participation: British pavilion (Sonia Boyce)
  • Special recognition: French pavilion, Ugandan pavilion
• Golden Lion for best artist of the central exhibition: Simone Leigh
  • Special recognition: Shuvinai Ashoona and Lynn Hershman Leeson
• Silver Lion for the most promising young artist of the exhibition: Ali Cherri

The 59th Biennale's Golden Lion for lifetime achievement went to Katharina Fritsch and Cecilia Vicuña.^[13][43]

Reception

The 2022 Biennale was its most attended edition with over 800,000 tickets sold. While the 2022 Biennale had sold a third more tickets than the 2019 Biennale, it was also 14 percent longer, lasting 197 days.^[44]

Recounting the year's biggest moments, ArtNews said that two Black women winning the Beinnale's top awards was both a "legendary moment and a possible sign that the canonization of Black female artists was ... underway". The effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was another big moment, felt at the Biennale with the closure of the Russian pavilion and conspicuous absence of Russian oligarchs.^[45]

References

1. Russeth, Andrew (April 17, 2019). "The Venice Biennale: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know". ARTnews. from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
2. Herriman, Kat (May 16, 2019). . The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019.
3. Rea, Naomi (June 9, 2021). "Cecilia Alemani's 2022 Venice Biennale Will Explore the Power of the Human Imagination to Adapt to a Changing Planet". Artnet News. from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
4. Farago, Jason (May 18, 2020). "Venice Biennale Postpones Next Two Editions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
5. "Biennale Arte 2022 | Statement by Cecilia Alemani". La Biennale di Venezia. June 9, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
6. Reilly, Maura (February 10, 2022). "With a Majority-Female 2022 Edition, the Venice Biennale Will Make History for Women Artists". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
7. Durón, Maximilíano; Greenberger, Alex (February 4, 2022). "The Venice Biennale By the Numbers: From an Unprecedented Number of Women to an Emphasis on the 20th-Century Avant-Garde". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
8. Nayeri, Farah (April 19, 2022). "This Venice Biennale Has a New Star: Women". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
9. Cascone, Sarah (January 10, 2020). "The Venice Biennale Has Appointed Cecilia Alemani, the Artistic Force Behind New York's High Line, as the Curator of Its 2021 Edition". Artnet News. from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
10. Solomon, Tessa (February 1, 2022). "Nepal to Make Venice Biennale Debut with Pavilion by Tsherin Sherpa". ARTnews.com. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
11. Volner, Ian (April 22, 2022). "The Venice Biennale, Without the Russians (or Their Yachts)". Vulture. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
12. Harris, Gareth (April 21, 2022). "Artist protests against war outside Russian Pavilion at Venice Biennale". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
13. "Sonia Boyce and Simone Leigh Win Golden Lions at the Venice Biennale for Work Honoring the Visions of Black Women". April 23, 2022.
14. da Silva, José (December 17, 2021). "Venice Biennale 2022: all the national pavilions, artists and curators". The Art Newspaper. from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
15. da Silva, José (December 17, 2021). "Venice Biennale 2022: all the national pavilions, artists and curators". The Art Newspaper. from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
16. "A Continually Updated List of Every Country's Pick for the 2021 Venice Biennale". ARTnews. December 9, 2019. from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
17. Maida, Desirée (November 15, 2019). "Il Padiglione dell'Australia alla Biennale d'Arte di Venezia 2021". Artribune (in Italian). from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
18. "Jakob Lena Knebl and Ashley Hans Scheirl Will Represent Austria at 2021 Venice Biennale". Artforum. February 25, 2020. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
19. "Knebl und Scheirl 2021 für Österreich bei Kunstbiennale Venedig" February 21, 2022, at the Wayback Machine in derstandard.at (in German)
20. Greenberger, Alex (June 15, 2020). "Francis Alÿs, Artist with a Timely Interest in Borders, Will Represent Belgium at 2022 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
21. Greenberger, Alex (January 15, 2020). "Stan Douglas, Leading Video Artist with an Eye Toward the Marginalized, Will Represent Canada at 2021 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
22. Selvin, Claire (February 5, 2020). "Celebrated Video and Performance Artist Pilvi Takala Will Represent Finland at 2021 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
23. Selvin, Claire (January 27, 2020). "Zineb Sedira Becomes First Algerian Artist to Represent France at Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
24. Azimi, Roxana (January 24, 2020). "La Franco-Algérienne Zineb Sedira représentera la France à la Biennale de Venise 2021". Le Monde (in French). from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
25. "Maria Eichhorn to Represent Germany at 2022 Venice Biennale". Artforum. February 17, 2021. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
26. Rea, Naomi (February 12, 2020). "Artist Sonia Boyce Will Be the First Black Woman to Represent the UK at the Venice Biennale". Artnet News. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
27. Tsui, Enid (June 17, 2021). "Artist Angela Su to represent Hong Kong at 2022 Venice Biennale". South China Morning Post. from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
28. "Ireland at Venice 2022, the national representation of Ireland at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia". Retrieved February 8, 2023.
29. "For Ilit Azoulay, The Kingdom Has Crashed. Long Live The Queendom!". Whitewall. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
30. Smee, Sebastian (April 22, 2022). "A great Venice Biennale unfolds, against all the odds". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
31. https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2022/national-participations/namibia
32. Goldstein, Caroline (March 12, 2020). "Venice Biennale 2021: Here Are All the Artists Confirmed to Represent Their Countries at the Event (So Far)". Artnet News. from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
33. Solomon, Tessa (February 1, 2022). "Nepal to Make Venice Biennale Debut with Pavilion by Tsherin Sherpa". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
34. "Biennale Arte 2022 | National Participations". La Biennale di Venezia. February 2, 2022. from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
35. Long, Lauren (September 17, 2019). "Yuki Kihara to Represent New Zealand at 59th Venice Biennale". ArtAsiaPacific. from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
36. Greenberger, Alex (October 13, 2020). "To Mark Rare Showcase for Indigenous Art, Nordic Pavilion Changes Name for 2022 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
37. "Małgorzata Mirga-Tas to Represent Poland at Venice Biennale". Artforum. October 7, 2021. from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
38. Greenberger, Alex (January 28, 2020). "Latifa Echakhch, Rising Star Focused on Immigration and Alienation, Will Represent Switzerland at 2021 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
39. "Füsun Onur to Represent Turkey at 2021 Venice Biennale". Artforum. April 20, 2020. from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
40. Chaves, Alexandra (September 28, 2020). "Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim to represent the UAE at 2022 Venice Biennale". The National. from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
41. Sheets, Hilarie (October 14, 2020). "Simone Leigh Is First Black Woman to Represent U.S. at Venice Biennale". New York Times. from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
42. "Biennale Arte 2022 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)". La Biennale di Venezia. April 12, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
43. "Sonia Boyce's British pavilion wins Venice Biennale's coveted Golden Lion for best national exhibition". April 23, 2022.
44. "Venice Biennale Posts Record Attendance, Wellcome Collection Axes 'Racist, Sexist, and Ableist' Display, and More: Morning Links for November 28, 2022". ARTnews. November 28, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
45. "The Defining Art Events of 2022". ARTnews. December 7, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2023.

Further reading

• Brown, Kate (July 15, 2020). "The Venice Biennale Has Summoned a Curatorial Supergroup to Organize a Show About How Historical Events Have Shaped Its Legacy". Artnet News. from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
• Wullschläger, Jackie (August 12, 2020). "Venice Biennale seizes the moment by celebrating its past". Financial Times. from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.

Reviews

• Dozier, Ayanna (April 21, 2022). "The 2022 Venice Biennale Finds Hope at the End of the World". Artsy. from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
• Farago, Jason (April 21, 2022). "At Venice Biennale, Contemporary Art Sinks or Swims". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
• Luke, Ben (April 22, 2022). "Venice Biennale review – The stuff of dreams: Cecilia Alemani delivers a perfectly judged show". The Art Newspaper. from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
• Smee, Sebastian (April 22, 2022). "A great Venice Biennale unfolds, against all the odds". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.

External links

 

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