54. Venice Biennale 2011 - International Pavilion "ILLUMInations"

The 54th International Art Exhibition, with the title of ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations, directed by Bice Curiger and organized by La Biennale di Venezia under the presidency of Paolo Baratta, will be accessible to the public from Saturday June 4th to November 27th 2011 in the Giardini and the Arsenale. The preview will be taking place on June 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2011. The award ceremony will take place June 4th.

Bice Curiger is an art historian, critic and curator of international exhibitions. Her curatorial activity at Kunsthaus Zurich parallels her important work in the publishing sector. In 1984, she cofounded the prestigious art magazine “Parkett”, of which she is editor-in-chief. She has been publishing director of London Tate Gallery’s magazine “Tate etc” since 2004.

The exhibition ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations will be laid out in the Central Pavilion in the Giardini and in the Arsenale, forming a single itinerary, featuring 83 artists from all over the world, including 32 young artists born after 1975, as well as 32 women artists. The director asked four participating artists to create “parapavilions”, architectural and sculptural structures erected in the Giardini and the Arsenale to house the works of other artists.

As usual, the Exhibition will be paralleled by 89 National Participations, a record for the Art Biennale (they were 77 in 2009), housed in the historical Pavilions in the Giardini, in the Arsenale, as well as in other locations around the city. The Padiglione Italia in the Arsenale, organized by the Ministry for the Cultural Heritage and Activities together with PaBAAC – General Direction for landscape, fine arts, architecture and contemporary art, will be curated by Vittorio Sgarbi. The countries that will be participating for the first time will be Andorra, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Haiti. Other countries will be participating after a long period of absence: India (1982), Congo (1968), Iraq (1990), Zimbabwe (1990), South Africa (1995), Costa Rica (1993, afterwards with IILA), Cuba (1995, afterwards with IILA). There will be 37 Collateral Events arranged by international organizations and institutions, that will set up their exhibitions and initiatives in various locations around the city on the occasion of the Biennale.

“La Biennale di Venezia is one of the world’s most important forums for the dissemination and illumination of current developments in international art – Bice Curiger stated. The title of the 54th International Art Exhibition, ILLUMInations, literally draws attention to the importance of such endeavours in a globalized world. As the biggest and oldest Biennale, la Biennale di Venezia has always been buoyed by an international spirit, and even more so now in an age in which artists themselves have become multifaceted, discerning migrants and cultural tourists”.

“ILLUMInations emphasizes the intuitive insight and the illumination of thought that is fostered by an encounter with art and its ability to sharpen the tools of perception – the director underlined. While the last Biennale ‘Making Worlds’ highlighted constructive creativity, ILLUMInations will focus on the ¢light’ of the illuminating experience, on the epiphanies that come with intercommunicative, intellectual comprehension. The Age of Enlightenment also resonates in ILLUMInations, testifying to the enduring vibrancy of its legacy”.

“The Biennale is like a wind machine - Paolo Baratta reveals. Every two years, it shakes the forest, unveils hidden truths, gives new strength and light to new sprouts, showing older trunks and persisting branches from a different perspective (this year trunks are really old considering the intention expressed by the curator to open with Tintoretto). The Biennale is a great pilgrimage, where in the works of artists and in the work of curators the voices of the world meet, to talk about their own and our future. Art here is meant as a continuous evolution”.

“In an age in which art has long since ceased the emphasis on the provocation of anti-art – president Baratta adds - we seek the ways of the dialogue between the artist’s work and our vision and our spirit, we want to understand and feel the ‘beyond’ that art generously offers and whispers to us, we wish ¢illumination’ as visitors, as art lovers, as individuals and as members of the human community”.

There are two leading projects organized by la Biennale for the 54th Exhibition: Biennale Sessions and Meetings on Art.

Biennale Sessions is a programme addressed to institutions, operating in the field of research and education in the domain of arts or similar. The objective is to promote the Exhibition visit among groups of at least 50 students and teachers, who will be given support to organize their trip and stay. They will also be given the possibility to organize seminars in venues we offer them free of charge. We have contacted more than 2,000 international institutions so far, who have been invited to take part in the programme. Meetings on Art stands for a number of meetings and seminars with artists, curators, philosophers and theologians scheduled in the month of June and early in autumn.

As Paolo Baratta explains, the purpose of both these projects is to “confirm the role played by la Biennale di Venezia as an institution open to knowledge and to the spirit of research”.

The Educational activity is also planned for 2011, addressing individuals as well as groups of students belonging to schools (regardless of any level and kind), universities and academies of fine arts, professionals, companies, experts, art lovers and families alike. Such initiatives, guided by selected operators trained by la Biennale di Venezia, aim at actively involving participants, and are divided into Guided visits and Lab Activities.

The 54th Exhibition award ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 4th in the Giardini, with the presentation of the official awards by the International Jury.

On the occasion of the 54th Exhibition, three online competitions will be launched through the website www.labiennalechannel.org: · ILLUMInations – Photography: the best photograph of the Exhibition (competition open only to accredited photographers) · ILLUMInations – Essay: the best critical essay on the Exhibition · ILLUMInations – Video clip: the best video about the Exhibition

The catalogue is published by Marsilio Editori, whose edition will be manifold this year. The official Catalogue presenting the 54th Exhibition, the National Participations and the Collateral Events is in fact a thorough book with plenty of ideas and contents. The short Catalogue, also presenting the three sections of the Exhibition, features a large number of photos taken during the preview days, and is the abridged version of the official catalogue. The Short Guide provides maps and useful information and turns out to be a helpful tool to get around the Exhibition venues. The design of the whole production isrealizedby the Swiss studio Gavillet & Rust. Photos of the Exhibition will be taken by Bruno Mancia and Franziska Bodmer.

Artists: 54th International Art Exhibition "ILLUMInations"

Giorgio Andreotta Calò Born in Venice, Italy, 1979 Lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Meris Angioletti Born in Bergamo, Italy, 1977 Lives and works in Paris, France

Nairy Baghramian Born in Isfhan, Iran, 1971 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Yto Barrada Born in Paris, France, 1971 Lives and works in Tangeri, Morocco

Elisabetta Benassi Born in Rome, Italy, 1966 Lives and works in Rome, Italy

Birdhead Founded in 2004 Lives and works in Shanghai, China Birdhead are: Song Tao Born in Shanghai, China, 1979 Ji Weiyu Born in Shanghai, China, 1980

Monica Bonvicini Born in Venice, Italy, 1965 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Mohamed Bourouissa Born in Blida, Algeria, 1978 Lives and works in Paris, France

Carol Bove Born in Geneva, Switzerland, 1971 Lives and works in New York, USA

Gerard Byrne Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1969 Lives and works in Dublin, Ireland

Mariana Castillo Deball Born in Mexico City, Mexico, 1975 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany and Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Gianni Colombo Born in Milan, Italy, 1937 Died in 1993

Martin Creed Born in Wakefield, Great Britain, 1968 Lives and works in London, UK

DAS INSTITUT and Kerstin Brätsch DAS INSTITUT (Kerstin Brätsch and Adele Röder) Import/Export since 2007 Live and work in New York, USA and Berlin, Germany

Guy de Cointet Born in Paris, France, 1934 Died in 1983

Gintaras Didžiapetris Born in Vilnius, Lithuania, 1985 Lives and works in Vilnius, Lithuania

Song Dong Born in Beijing, China, 1966 Lives and works in Beijing, China

Trisha Donnelly Born in San Francisco, USA, 1974 Lives and works in San Francisco, USA

Shannon Ebner Born in Englewood, USA, 1971 Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA

Latífa Echakhch Born in El Khnansa, Morocco, 1974 Lives and works in Martigny, Switzerland

54th International Art Exhibition

Giorgio Andreotta Calò Born in Venice, Italy, 1979 Lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Meris Angioletti Born in Bergamo, Italy, 1977 Lives and works in Paris, France

Nairy Baghramian Born in Isfhan, Iran, 1971 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Yto Barrada Born in Paris, France, 1971 Lives and works in Tangeri, Morocco

Elisabetta Benassi Born in Rome, Italy, 1966 Lives and works in Rome, Italy

Birdhead Founded in 2004 Lives and works in Shanghai, China Birdhead are: Song Tao Born in Shanghai, China, 1979 Ji Weiyu Born in Shanghai, China, 1980

Monica Bonvicini Born in Venice, Italy, 1965 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Mohamed Bourouissa Born in Blida, Algeria, 1978 Lives and works in Paris, France

Carol Bove Born in Geneva, Switzerland, 1971 Lives and works in New York, USA

Gerard Byrne Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1969 Lives and works in Dublin, Ireland

Mariana Castillo Deball Born in Mexico City, Mexico, 1975 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany and Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Gianni Colombo Born in Milan, Italy, 1937 Died in 1993

Martin Creed Born in Wakefield, Great Britain, 1968 Lives and works in London, UK

DAS INSTITUT and Kerstin Brätsch DAS INSTITUT (Kerstin Brätsch and Adele Röder) Import/Export since 2007 Live and work in New York, USA and Berlin, Germany

Guy de Cointet Born in Paris, France, 1934 Died in 1983

Gintaras Didžiapetris Born in Vilnius, Lithuania, 1985 Lives and works in Vilnius, Lithuania

Song Dong Born in Beijing, China, 1966 Lives and works in Beijing, China

Trisha Donnelly Born in San Francisco, USA, 1974 Lives and works in San Francisco, USA

Shannon Ebner Born in Englewood, USA, 1971 Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA

Latífa Echakhch Born in El Khnansa, Morocco, 1974 Lives and works in Martigny, Switzerland

Ida Ekblad Born in Oslo, Norway, 1980 Lives and works in Oslo, Norway

Omer Fast Born in Jerusalem, Israel, 1972 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Urs Fischer Born in Zurich, Switzerland, 1973 Lives and works in New York, USA

Peter Fischli & David Weiss Peter Fischli, born in Zurich, Switzerland, 1952 David Weiss, born in Zurich, Switzerland, 1946 Live and work in Zurich, Switzerland

Llyn Foulkes Born in Yakima, Washington, USA, 1934 Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA

Luca Francesconi Born in Mantova, Italy, 1979 Lives and works in Milan, Italy and Paris, France

Katharina Fritsch Born in Essen, Germany, 1956 Lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany

Cyprien Gaillard Born in Paris, France, 1980 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Dani Gal Born in Jerusalem, Israel, 1975 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Ryan Gander Born in Chester, Great Britain, 1976 Lives and works in London and Suffolk, UK

Gedewon Born in Bagemdir, Ethiopia, 1939 Died in Därtähal, Ethiopia, 1995

GELITIN Founded in 1993 Lives and works in Wien, Austria Gelitin are: Wolfgang Gantner Born in Mistelbach, Austria, 1970 Ali Janka Born in Salzburg, Austria, 1971 Florian Reither Born in St. Pölten, Austria, 1967 Tobias Urban Born in Munich, Germany, 1967

Luigi Ghirri Born in Scandiano, Italy, 1943 Died in Roncocesi, Italy, 1992

David Goldblatt Born in Randfontein, South Africa, 1930 Lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa

Jack Goldstein Born in Montreal, Canada, 1945 Died in San Bernardino, USA, 2003

Loris Gréaud Born in Eaubonne, France, 1979 Lives and works in Paris, France

Nicholas Hlobo Born in Capetown, South Africa, 1975 Lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa

Karl Holmqvist Born in Västerâs, Sweden, 1964 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Bruno Jakob Born in Switzerland, 1954 Lives and works in New York, USA

Norma Jeane Born in Los Angeles, USA, August 5th, 1962 Lives and works everywhere

Rashid Johnson Born in Chicago, USA, 1977 Lives and works in New York, USA

Annette Kelm Born in Stuttgart, Germany, 1975 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Gabriel Kuri Born in Mexico City, Mexico, 1970 Lives and works in Brussels, Belgium and Mexico City, Mexico

Elad Lassry Born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, 1977 Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA

Klara Lidén Born in Stockholm, Sweden, 1979 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Christian Marclay Born in San Rafael, USA, 1955 Lives and works in London, UK and New York, USA

Fabian Marti Born in Fribourg, Switzerland, 1979 Lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland

Nathaniel Mellors Born in Doncaster, Great Britain, 1974 Lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Asier Mendizabal Born in Ordizia, Spain, 1973 Lives and works in Bilbao, Spain

Haroon Mirza Born in London, Great Britain, 1977 Lives and works in London and Sheffield, UK

Jean-Luc Mylayne Born in France, 1946 Lives and works in the world

Shahryar Nashat Born in Geneva, Switzerland, 1975 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Navid Nuur Born in Tehran, Iran, 1976 Lives and works in The Hague, Holland

Roman Ondak Born in Žilina, Slovakia, 1966 Lives and works in Bratislava, Slovakia

Nicolás Paris Born in Bogotá, Colombia, 1977 Lives and works in Bogotá, Colombia

Philippe Parreno Born in Oran, Algeria, 1964 Lives and works in Paris, France

Mai-Thu Perret Born in Geneva, Switzerland, 1976 Lives and works in Geneva, Switzerland

Amalia Pica Born in Neuquen, Argentina, 1978 Lives and works in London, UK

Giulia Piscitelli Born in Naples, Italy, 1965 Lives and works in Naples, Italy

Sigmar Polke Born in Oels (Olesnica), Silesia, 1941 Died in Cologne, Germany, 2010

Seth Price Born in Jerusalem Est, Palestina, 1973 Lives and works in New York, USA

R.H. Quaytman Born in Boston, USA, 1961 Lives and works in New York, USA

Nick Relph Born in Great Britain, 1979 Lives and works in London, UK and New York, USA

Pipilotti Rist Born in Grabs, Switzerland, 1962 Lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland

Marinella Senatore Born in Cava dei Tirreni, Italy, 1977 Lives and works in Madrid, Spain and New York, USA

Cindy Sherman Born in Glen Ridge, USA, 1954 Lives and works in New York, USA

Dayanita Singh Born in New Delhi, 1961 Lives and works in New Delhi, India

Josh Smith Born in Okinawa, Japan, 1976 Lives and works in New York, USA

Monika Sosnowska Born in Ryki, Poland, 1972 Lives and works in Warsaw, Poland

Frances Stark Born in Newport Beach, USA , 1967 Lives and works in Los Angeles, USA

Sturtevant Born in Lakewood, USA, 1930 Lives and works in Paris, France

Anya Titova Born in Sverdlovsk, Russia, 1984 Lives and works in Moscow, Russia

Rosemarie Trockel Nata a Schwerte, Germany, 1952 Lives and works in Germany

Oscar Tuazon Born in Seattle, USA, 1975 Lives and works in Paris, France

James Turrell Born in Los Angeles, USA, 1943 Lives and works in Arizona, USA

Emily Wardill Born in Great Britain, 1977 Lives and works in London, UK

Rebecca Warren Born in London, Great Britain, 1965 Lives and works in London, UK

Corinne Wasmuht Born in Dortmund, Germany, 1964 Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Andro Wekua Born in Sochumi, Georgia, 1977 Lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland and Berlin, Germany

Franz West Born in Wien, Austria, 1947 Lives and works in Wien, Austria

Jeanne (Johanna) Natalie Wintsch Born in Warsaw, Poland, 1871 Died in Lausanne, Switzerland, 1944

Christopher Wool Born in Chicago, USA, 1955 Lives and works in New York and Texas, USA

54th International Art Exhibition "ILLUMInazioni - ILLUMInations" Giardini and Arsenale