The Milk of Dreams

Venice – The 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled The Milk of Dreams, opens to the public from Saturday April 23 to Sunday November 27, 2022, at the Giardini and the Arsenale; it is curated by Cecilia Alemani and organised by La Biennale di Venezia chaired by Roberto Cicutto.

In 2021, La Biennale di Venezia launched a plan to reconsider all of its activities in light of recognized and consolidated principles of environmental sustainability. For the year 2022, the goal is to extend the achievement of “carbon neutrality” certification, which was obtained in 2021 for the 78th Venice International Film Festival, to all of La Biennale’s scheduled activities, which include the 59th International Art Exhibition, the Theatre, Music and Dance Festivals and the 79th Venice International Film Festival.

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION

The Exhibition unfolds in the Central Pavilion of the Giardini, and in the Corderie, Artiglierie, and the outdoor spaces of the Gaggiandre and Giardino delle Vergini at the Arsenale complex. The Milk of Dreams includes 213 artists from 58 countries. More than 180 of these artists have never had their work in the International Art Exhibition until now. For the first time in its 127-year history, the Biennale includes a majority of women and gender non-conforming artists.

The exhibition features contemporary works and 80 new projects conceived specifically for the Biennale Arte, presented in dialogue with several historic works.

“The Milk of Dreams takes its title from a book by Leonora Carrington (1917–2011) – Cecilia Alemani stated – in which the Surrealist artist describes a magical world where life is constantly re-envisioned through the prism of the imagination. It is a world where everyone can change, be transformed, become something or someone else. The exhibition The Milk of Dreams takes Leonora Carrington’s otherworldly creatures, along with other figures of transformation, as companions on an imaginary journey through the metamorphoses of bodies and definitions of the human.

This exhibition is grounded in many conversations with artists held in the last years. The questions that kept emerging from these dialogues seem to capture this moment in history when the very survival of the species is threatened, but also to sum up many other inquiries that pervade the sciences, arts, and myths of our time. How is the definition of the human changing? What constitutes life, and what differentiates plant and animal, human and non-human? What are our responsibilities towards the planet, other people, and other life forms? And what would life look like without us? These are some of the guiding questions for this edition of the Biennale Arte, which focuses on three thematic areas in particular: the representation of bodies and their metamorphoses; the relationship between individuals and technologies; the connection between bodies and the Earth.”

As visitors move through the exhibition in the Central Pavilion and the Corderie, they encounter five smaller, historical sections: miniature constellations of artworks, found objects, and documents, clustered together to explore certain key themes. Conceived like time capsules, these shows within the show provide additional tools of investigation and introspection, weaving a web of references and echoes that link artworks of the pas – including major museum loans and unconventional selections – to the pieces by contemporary artists in the surrounding space. This wide-ranging, transhistorical approach traces kinships and affinities between artistic methods and practices, even across generations, to create new layers of meaning and bridge present and past. What emerges is a historical narrative that is not built around systems of direct inheritance or conflict, but around forms of symbiosis, solidarity, and sisterhood.

“The Milk of Dreams was conceived and organised in a period of enormous instability and uncertainty, since its development coincided with the outbreak and spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. La Biennale di Venezia was forced to postpone this edition by one year, an event that had only occurred during the two World Wars since 1895. So the very fact that this exhibition can open is somewhat extraordinary: its inauguration is not exactly the symbol of a return to normal life, but rather the outcome of a collective effort that seems almost miraculous.

The Milk of Dreams is not an exhibition about the pandemic, but it inevitably registers the upheavals of our era. In times like this, as the history of La Biennale di Venezia clearly shows, art and artists can help us imagine new modes of coexistence and infinite new possibilities of transformation”

.

“Cecilia Alemani’s Exhibition imagines new harmonies, hitherto unthinkable cohabitations and surprising solutions – said President Roberto Cicutto – precisely because they distance themselves from anthropocentrism. A journey at the end of which there are no losers, but where new alliances are brought forth, generated by a dialogue between different beings (some perhaps even produced by machines) with all the natural elements that our planet (and perhaps others as well) presents to us. The travelling companions (the artists) who accompany the Curator all come from very different worlds.”

“Many works are new productions created specifically for this edition. This is an important sign and proof of the great attention bestowed on the new generations of artists. It is no coincidence that the Curator has proposed to realize the first College Arte in the Biennale’s history.

MEETINGS ON ART

Leonora Carrington’s literary and artistic work guides the title and themes of the 59th International Art Exhibition, The Milk of Dreams. To pay tribute to the artist’s imagery, a series of conversations, roundtables and keynote lectures were held over five days in June, from 7 to 11, each anchored in Carrington’s life and oeuvre while expanding to the broader themes of the Exhibition. The talks brought together artists, scholars, curators, thinkers and writers from various fields to discuss topics such as the metamorphosis of the body and of humanity, the posthuman turn, our relationship to the Earth and technologies, Surrealism, Spiritualism, magic, Indigenous epistemologies, the writing of fiction, and feminisms.

Speakers included, among others, Susan L. Aberth, Tere Arcq, Matthew Biro, Rosi Braidotti, Mel Y. Chen, Susanne Christensen, Andrea Giunta, Jack Halberstam, Saidiya Hartman, Jennifer Higgie, Alyce Mahon, Joanna Moorhead, Igiaba Scego, Christina Sharpe, Adrien Sina, Grazina Subelyte, Marina Warner.

BIENNALE COLLEGE ARTE

The final projects for the 1st edition of Biennale College Arte 2021/22 are by Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Ambra Castagnetti, Andro Eradze and Kudzanai-Violet Hwami. The artworks are presented, out of competition, as part of the 59th International Art Exhibition, The Milk of Dreams. Over 250 young emerging artists under 30 from 58 countries around the world have joined the call for participation. More than half are women.

NATIONAL PARTICIPATIONS

The Exhibition includes 80 National Participations in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the city centre of Venice. 5 countries participate for the first time at the Biennale Arte: Republic of Cameroon, Namibia, Nepal, Sultanate of Oman, and Uganda. Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Republic of Uzbekistan participate for the first time with their own pavilion.

The Italian Pavilion at the Tese delle Vergini in the Arsenale, sponsored and promoted by the Ministero della Cultura, Direzione Generale Arte e Architettura Contemporanee e Periferie Urbane. Titled History of Night and Destiny of Comets is curated by Eugenio Viola,an installation by Gian Maria Tosatti.

80 National Participations

ALBANIA

Lumturi Blloshmi.From scratch

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture

Curator: Adela Demetja

Exhibitor: Lumturi Blloshmi

Venue: Arsenale

ARGENTINA

The Importance of the Origin Will Be Imported by the Origin of the Substance

Commissioner: Paula Vázquez

Curator: Alejo Ponce de León

Exhibitor: Mónica Heller

Venue: Arsenale

ARMENIA (Republic of)

Gharib

Commissioner: Arayik Khzmalyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport

Curators: Anne Davidian, Elena Sorokina

Exhibitor: Andrius Arutiunian

Venue: Castello 2125,Campo della Tana

AUSTRALIA

DESASTRES
Commissioner: Australia Council for the Arts

Curator: Alexie Glass-Kantor

Exhibitor: Marco Fusinato

Venue: Giardini

AUSTRIA

Invitation of the Soft Machine and Her Angry Body Parts

Commissioner: Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport

Curator: Karola Kraus

Exhibitors: Jakob Lena Knebl and Ashley Hans Scheirl

Venue: Giardini

AZERBAIJAN (Republic of)

Born to Love

Commissioner: Mammad Ahmadzada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Curator: Emin Mammadov

Exhibitors: Zhuk, Infinity, Ramina Saadatkhan, Fidan Novruzova, Fidan Akhundova, Sabiha Khankishiyeva, Agdes Baghirzade

Venue: Procuratie Vecchie San Marco 153/a/139

BANGLADESH (People’s Republic of)

”TIME: MASK AND UNMASK”

Commissioner: Liaquat Ali Lucky

Curator: Viviana Vannucci

 Exhibitors: Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Iqbal, Harun-Ar-Rashid, Sumon Wahed, Promity Hossain, Mohammad Eunus, Marco Cassarà, Franco Marrocco, Giuseppe Diego Spinelli

Venue: Palazzo Pisani Revedin, San Marco 4013San Marco 4013

BELGIUM

The Nature of the Game

Commissioner: Jan Jambon, Minister-president of the Government of Flanders and Flemish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Culture, ICT and Facility Management

Curator: Hilde Teerlinck Exhibitor: Francis Alÿs

Venue: Giardini

BOLIVIA

Wara Wara Jawira

Commissioner: Roberto Aguilar Quisbert Mamani amani

Curators/Exhibitors: Warmichacha

Venue: ArtSpace4rent Cannaregio 4120

BRAZIL

Com o coração saindo pela boca / with the heart coming out of the mouth.

Commissioner: José Olympio da Veiga Pereira, Fundação Bienal de São Paulo

Curator: Jacopo Crivelli Visconti

Exhibitor: Jonathas de Andrade

Venue: Giardini

BULGARIA

There You Are

Commissioner: Iara Boubnova

Curator: Irina Batkova

Exhibitor: Michail Michailov.

Venue: Spazio Ravà, San Polo 1100

CAMEROON (Republic of)

The Time of the Chimeras

Commissioner: Armand Abanda Maye

Curators: Paul Emmanuel Loga Mahop, Sandro Orlandi Stagl

Exhibitors: Francis Nathan Abiamba (Afran), Angéle Etoundi Essamba, Justine Gaga,Salifou Lindou, Shay Frisch, Umberto Mariani, Matteo Mezzadri, Jorge R. Pombo, NFT (Kevin Abosch, João Angelini, Marco Bertìn (Berxit), Cryptoart Driver, Lana Denina, Alberto Echegaray Guevara, Genesis People, Joachim Hildebrand, Meng Huang, Eduardo Kac, Giulia Kosice, Julio Le Parc, Marina Nuñez, Miguel Soler-Roig, Miguel Ángel Vidal, Burkhard von Harder, Gabe Weis, Clark Winter, Shavonne Wong, Wang Xing, Alessandro Zannier, ZZH).

Venue: Liceo Artistico Guggenheim Dorsoduro 2613 e Palazzo Ca’ Bernardo San Polo 2186

CANADA

2011 ≠ 1848
Commissioner: National Gallery of Canada;

Curator: Reid Shier

Exhibitor: Stan Douglas

Venue: Giardini and Magazzini del Sale n5

CHILE

Turba Tol Hol-Hol Tol

Commissioner: Ximena Moreno

Curator: Camila Marambio

Exhibitors: Ariel Bustamante, Carla Macchiavello, Dominga Stomayor, Alfredo Thiermann

Venue: Arsenale

CHINA(People’s Republic of)

META-SCAPE

Commissioner: China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd.;

Curator: Zhang Zikang

Exhibitor: Liu Jiayu, Wang Yuyang, Xu Lei, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Institute of Sci-Tech Arts+Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence (TLBI) Group Project.

Venue: Arsenale

CROATIA

Untitled (Croatian Pavilion), 2022

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia

Curator: Elena Filipovic

Exhibitor: Tomo Savić-Gecan.

Venue: via Garibaldi 1513 Castello

CUBA

TERRA IGNOTA, (proposals for a New World).

Commissioner: Norma Rodriguez Derivet

Curator: Nelson Ramirez de Arellano Conde

Exhibitor: Rafael Villares, Kcho,Giuseppe Stampone

Venue: Isola di San Servolo

DENMARK

We Walked the Earth

Commissioner: Danish Arts Foundation

Curator: Jacob Lillemose

Exhibitor: Uffe Isolotto

Venue: Giardini

EGYPT

Eden-Like Garden preserved for the Chosen ones

Commissioner: Ministero della Cultura-Accademia d’Egitto

Curators: Mohamed Shoukry

Exhibitors: Mohamed Shoukry, Weaam El Masry, Ahmed El Shaer

Venue: Giardini

ESTONIA

Orchidelirium: An Appetite for Abundance

Commissioner: Maria Arusoo, Estonian Center for Contemporary Art

Curator: Corina L Apostol

Exhibitors: Kristina Norman, Bita Ravazi

Venue: Giardini

FINLAND (Aalto)

Close Watch

Commissioner: Raija Koli, Frame Finland

Curator: Christina Li

Exhibitor: Pilvi Takala

Venue: Giardini

FRANCE

Les rêves n’ont pas de titre / Dreams have no titles

Commissioner: Institut Francais with the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture

Curators: Yasmina Reggad, Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath Exhibitor: Zineb Sedira

Venue: Giardini

GEORGIA

I Pity the Garden

Commissioner: Magda Guruli

Curators: Vato Urushadze, Khatia Tchokhonelidze, Giorgi Spanderashvili

Exhibitors: Mariam Natroshvili, Detu Jincharadze

Venue: Spazio Punch, Fondamenta S. Biagio, 800/o, Giudecca

GERMANY

RELOCATING A STRUCTURE

Commissioner: Ellen Strittmatter ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen

Curator: Yilmaz Dziewior

Exhibitors: Maria Eichorn

Venue: Giardini

GHANA

Black Star – The Museum as Freedom

Commissioner: Akwasi Agyeman, CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority Ministry of Tourism, Arts And Culture

Curator: Nana Oforiatta Ayim

Exhibitors: Na Chainkua Reindorf, Diego Araúja, Afroscope

Venue: Arsenale

GREAT BRITAIN

Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way

Commissioner: Emma Dexter, British Council

Curator: Emma Ridgway; Exhibitor: Sonia Boyce

Venue: Giardini

GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG

TINA GILLEN. FARAWAY SO CLOSE

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture

Curator: Christophe Gallois, Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean

Exhibitor: Tina Gillen

Venue: Arsenale

GREECE

Oedipus In Search of Colonus

Commissioner: National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum (represented by the Director, Professor Marina Lambraki Plaka)

Curator: Heinz Peter Schwerfel

Exhibitor: Loukia Alavanou

Venue: Giardini

GRENADA

An Unknown that Does Not Terrify

Commissioner: Susan Mains

Curator: Daniele Radini Tedeschi

Exhibitors: Cypher Art Collective of Grenada(Oliver Benoit, Billy Gerard Frank, Ian Friday, Asher Mains, Susan Mains, Angus Martin, Samuel Ogilvie), Giancarlo Flati, Identity Collective, Anna Maria Li Gotti, Nino Perrone, Rossella Pezzino de Geronimo, Marialuisa Tadei

Venue: Il Giardino Bianco Art SpaceVia Giuseppe Garibaldi, 1814

GUATEMALA

INCLUSION

Commissioner: Felipe Amado Aguilar Marroquin, Minister of Culture

Curator/Exhibitor: Christian Escobar “Chrispapita”

Venue: SPUMA – Space For The Arts Giudecca 800/R

HUNGARY

Dopo i sogni: ho il coraggio di sfidare i danni / After Dreams: I Dare to Defy the Damage

Commissioner: Julia Fabényi

Curator: Mónika Zsikla

Exhibitor: Zsófia Keresztes

Venue: Giardini

ICELAND

“Perpetual MOTION”

Commissioner: Auður Jörundsdóttir, Icelandic Art Center

Curator: Mónica Bello

Exhibitor: Sigurdur Gudjonsson

Venue: Arsenale

IRELAND

Gather

Commissioner: Culture Ireland

Curator: Temple Bar Gallery + Studios

Exhibitor: Niamh O’Malley

Venue: Arsenale

ISRAEL

QUEENDOM

Commissioners: Michael Gov, Arad Turgeman

Curator: Shelley Harten

Exhibitor: Ilit Azoulay

Venue: Giardini

ITALY

History of Night and Destiny of Comets

Commissioner: Onofrio Cutaia, Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea, Ministero della Cultura

Curator: Eugenio Viola

Exhibitor: Gian Maria Tosatti

Venue: Arsenale

IVORY COAST

The dreams of a story

Commissioner: Henri Koffissé N’koumo

Curators: Massimo Scaringella, Alessandro Romanini

Exhibitors: Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Abdoulaye Diarrassouba dit Aboudia, Armand Boua, Saint-Etienne Yéanzi dit Yeanzi, Laetitia Ky, Aron Demetz

Venue: Magazzino del Sale 3, Dorsoduro 264

JAPAN

Dumb Type

Commissioner: The Japan Foundation

Exhibitors: Dumb Type (Shiro Takatani, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ken Furudate, Satoshi Hama, Ryo Shiraki, Marihiko Hara, Hiromasa Tomari, Takuya Minami, Yoko Takatani)

Venue: Giardini

KAZAKHSTAN (Republic of)*

LAI–PI–CHU–PLEE–LAPA
Centre for the New Genius

Commissioner: Meruyert Kaliyeva

Curators/Exhibitors: ORTA collective (Alexandra Morozova, Rustem Begenov, Darya Jumelya, Alexandr Bakanov, Sabina Kuangaliyeva)

Venue: Spazio Arco, Dorsoduro 1485

KENYA

Exercises in Conversation

Commissioner: Kiprop Lagat

Curator: Jimmy Ogonga

Exhibitors: Dickens Otieno, Syowia Kyambi, Kaloki Nyamai, Wanja Kimani

Venue: Fabrica 33, Cannaregio 5063

KOREA (Republic of)

Gyre

Commissioner: Arts Council Korea

Curator: Youngchul Lee

Exhibitor: Yunchul Kim

Venue: Giardini

KOSOVO (Republic of)

The Monumentality of the Everyday

Commissioner: Alisa Gojani-Berisha

Curator: Inke Arns

Exhibitor: Jakup Ferri

Venue: Arsenale

KYRGYZ Republic

Gates of Turan

Commissioner: Saltanat Abdyldaevna Amanova

Curator: Janet Rady

Exhibitor: Firouz Farman Farmaaian

Venue: Hydro Space, Giudecca Art District ,Giudecca 211/C

LATVIA

Selling Water by the River

Commissioner: Solvita Krese

Curators: Solvita Krese and Andra Silapētere

Exhibitors: Skuja Braden (Ingūna Skuja and Melissa D. Braden)

Venue: Arsenale

LEBANON

The World in the Image of Man

Commissioner/Curator: Nada Ghandour

Exhibitors: Ayman Baalbaki, Danielle Arbid

Venue: Arsenale

LITHUANIA

Gut Feeling

Commissioner: Kęstutis Kuizinas

Curator: Neringa Bumblienė

Exhibitors: Robertas Narkus

Venue: Castello 3200 and 3206, Campo de le Gate

NORTH MACEDONIA (Republic of)

“Landscape experience”

Commissioner: Dita Starova Qerimi, National Gallery of the Republic of North Macedonia

Curators: Ana Frangovska; Sanja Kojic Mladenov

Exhibitors: Robert Jankuloski, Monika Moteska

Venue: Scuola dei Laneri, Santa Croce 113/a

MALTA

Diplomazija Astuta

Commissioner: Arts Council Malta

Curators: Keith Sciberras, Jeffrey Uslip

Exhibitors: Arcangelo Sassolino, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, Brian Schembri

Venue: Arsenale

MEXICO

Hasta que los cantos broten (Until The Songs Spring)

Commissioner: Diego Sapién

Curators: Catalina Lozano and Mauricio Marcin

Exhibitors: Mariana Castillo Deball, Naomi Rincón Gallardo, Fernando Palma Rodríguez and Santiago Borja Charles

Venue: Arsenale

MONGOLIA

A Journey Through Vulnerability

Commissioner: Nomin Chinbat, Minister of Culture of Mongolia

Curator: Gantuya Badamgarav

Exhibitors: Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav

Venue: Castello 2131

MONTENEGRO

“The Art Of Holding Hands as we break through the sedimentary cloud”

Commissioner: Jelena Božović

Curator: Natalija Vujošević

Exhibitors: Dante Buu, Lidija Delić & Ivan Šuković, Darko Vučković, Jelena Tomašević, Art Collection of Non-Aligned Countries (Zuzana Chalupova, Rene Portocarrero, unknown author from Iraq and Bernard Matemera)

Venue: Palazzo Malipiero, San Marco 3078-3079/A, Ramo Malipiero

NAMIBIA

A Bridge to the Desert

Commissioner: Marcellinus Swartbooi, Senior Art Education Officer of the Directorate of Arts: Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture

Curator: Marco Furio Ferrario

Exhibitor: “RENN”

Venue: Isola della Certosa

NEPAL

Tales of Muted Spirits-Dispersed Threads-Twisted Shangri-La

Commissioner: Chancellor Kancha Kumar Karmacharya (Nepal Academy of Fine Arts), Sangeeta Thapa (Founder Director Siddhartha Arts Foundation)

Curators: Hit Man Gurung, Sheelasha Rajbhandari

Exhibitor: Ang Tsherin Sherpa (also known as) Tsherin Sherpa

Venue: Castello 994

NETHERLANDS (The)

When the body says Yes

Commissioner: Mondriaan Fund

Curators: Orlando Maaike Gouwenberg, Geir Haraldseth, Soraya Pol

Exhibitor: melanie bonajo

Venue: Chiesetta della Misericordia of Art Events, Cannaregio

NEW ZELAND

Paradise Camp

Commissioner: Caren Rangi, Creative New Zealand

Curator: Natalie King

Exhibitor: Yuki Kihara

Venue: Arsenale

NORDIC COUNTRIES (NORWAY-SWEDEN-FINLAND)

The Sámi Pavilion

Commissioner: Katya García-Antón, Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) Leevi Haapala, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma / The Finnish National Gallery Gitte Ørskou, Moderna Museet

Curators: Katya García-Antón, Liisa-Rávná Finborg and Beaska Niillas

Exhibitors: Pauliina Feodoroff, Máret Ánne Sara, Anders Sunna

Venue: Giardini

OMAN (Sultanate of)

Destied Imaginaries

Commissioner: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, His Excellency Sayyid Saeed bin Sultan bin Yarub Al Busaidi

Curator: Aisha Stoby

Exhibitors: Anwar Sonja, Hassan Meer, Budoor Al Riyami, Radhika Al Khimji, Raiya Al Rawahi

Venue: Arsenale

PERU

Peace is a Corrosive Promise

Commissioner: Armando Andrade

Curator: Jorge Villacorta, Viola Varotto

Exhibitor: Herbert Rodriguez

Venue: Arsenale

PHILIPPINES

Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana / All of us present,This is our gathering

Commissioner: National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Arsenio “Nick” J. Lizaso

Curators: Yael Buencamino Borromeo and Arvin Flores

Exhibitors: Gerardo Tan, Felicidad A.Prudente and Sammy N. Buhle

Venue: Arsenale

POLAND

“Re-enchanting the World”

Commissioner: Janusz Janowski (from 2022), Hanna Wróblewska (till 2021) / Zachęta — National Gallery of Art

Curators: Wojciech Szymański and Joanna Warsza

Exhibitor: Małgorzata Mirga-Tas

Venue: Giardini

PORTUGAL

“Vampires in Space”

Commissioner: Direção-Geral Das Artes

Curators: João Mourão/ Luís Silva

Exhibitor: Pedro Neves Marques

Venue: Palazzo Franchetti San Marco 2847

ROMANIA

You Are Another Me – A Cathedral of the Body

Commissioner: Attila Kim

Curators: Cosmin Costinas and Viktor Neumann

Exhibitor: Adina Pintilie

Venues: Romanian Pavilion, Giardini and New Gallery of the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research Palazzo Correr, (Campo Santa Fosca), Cannareggio 2214

SAN MARINO (Republic of)

Postumano Metamorfico

Commissioner: Riccardo Varini

Curators: Vincenzo Rotondo

Scientific Commitee: Alessandro Bianchini, Roberto Felicetti, Cristian Contini, Fulvio Granocchia, Pasquale Lettieri, Angela Vettese, James Putnam, Riccardo Varini

Exhibitors: Elisa Cantarelli, Nicoletta Ceccoli, Roberto Paci Dalò, Endless, Michelangelo Galliani, Rosa Mundi, Anne-Cécile Surga, Michele Tombolini

Venue: Palazzo Donà Dalle Rose, Fondamenta Nove Cannaregio 5038

SAUDI ARABIA

The Teaching Tree

Commissioner: Visual Arts Commission, Ministry of Culture

Curator: Reem Fadda

Exhibitor: Muhannad Shono

Venue: Arsenale

SERBIA

Walking with Water

Commissioner: Marijana Kolarić

Curator: Biljana Ćirić; Exhibitor: Vladimir Nikolić

Venue: Giardini

SINGAPORE

Pulp III: A Short Biography of the Banished Book

Commissioner : Rosa Daniel, Chief Executive Officer National Arts Council Singapore

Curator: Ute Meta Bauer

Exhibitor: Shubigi Rao

Venue: Arsenale

SLOVENIA (Republic of)

Senza Padrone/Without a Master

Commissioner: Aleš Vaupotič

Curator: Robert Simonišek

Exhibitor: Marko Jakše

Venue: Arsenale

SOUTH AFRICA (Republic of)

‘Into the Light’

Commissioner: Nosipho Nausca-Jean Ngcaba Ambasciatore della Repubblica del Sudafrica in Italia

Curator: Amé Bell

Exhibitors: Roger Ballen, Lebohang Kganye, Phumulani Ntuli

Venue: Arsenale

SPAIN

Correction

Commissioner: Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación de España. AECID Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo

Curator: Beatriz Espejo

Exhibitor: Ignasi Aballí

Venue: Giardini

SWITZERLAND

The Concert

Commissioners: Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia (Madeleine Schuppli, Sandi Paucic, Rachele Giudici Legittimo)

Curators: Alexandre Babel, Francesco Stocchi

Exhibitor: Latifa Echakhch

Venue: Giardini

SYRIAN ARAB (Republic)

“The Syrians People: a common Destiny”

Commissioner/Curator: Emad Kashout

Exhibitors: Saousan Alzubi, Ismaiel Nasra, Adnan Hamideh, Omran Younis, Aksam Tallaa, Giuseppe Amadio, Marcello Lo Giudice, Lorenzo Puglisi, Hannu Palosuo,

Venue: Isola di San Servolo

TURKEY

Once upon a time…

Commissioner: Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV)

Curator: Bige Örer

Exhibitor: Füsun Onur

Venue: Arsenale

UGANDA

RADIANCE: They dream In Time

Commissioner: Naumo Juliana Akoryo

Curator: Shaheen Merali

Exhibitors: Acaye Kerunen and Collin Sekajugo

Venue: Palazzo Palumbo Fossati San Marco 2597

UKRAINE

The Fountain of Exhaustion. Acqua alta

Commissioner: Kateryna Chuyeva, Deputy Minister for European Integration of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine

Curators: Lizaveta German, Maria Lanko, Borys Filonenko

Exhibitors: Pavlo Makov

Venue: Arsenale

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim: Between Sunrise and Sunset

Commissioner: Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation

Curator: Maya Allison

Exhibitor: Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim

Venue: Arsenale

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Simone Leigh: Sovereignty

Commissioner: Jill Medvedow, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston; Curator: Eva Respini, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston; Exhibitor: Simone Leigh

Venue: Giardini

URUGUAY

“Persona”
Commissioner: Silvana Bergson

Curator: Laura Malosetti Costa and Pablo Uribe

Exhibitor: Gerardo Goldwasser

Venue: Giardini

UZBEKISTAN (Republic of)

Dixit Algorizmi: Garden of Knowledge

Commissioner: Gayane Umerova, Art and Culture Development Foundation

Curators: Space Caviar (Joseph Grima, Camilo Oliveira, Sofia Pia Belenky, Francesco Lupia) Sheida Gomashchi

Exhbitors: Charlie Tapp/Abror Zufarov, CCA Lab

Venue: Arsenale

VENEZUELA (Bolivarian Republic of)

Tierra, País, Casa, Cuerpo

Commissioner: Paola Claudia Posani Urdaneta

Curators: Zacarías García

Exhibitors: Palmira Correa, César Vázquez, Mila Quast,Jorge Recio

Venue: Giardini

ZIMBABWE (Republic of)

I did not leave a sign?

Commissioner: Raphael Chikukwa, National Gallery of Zimbabwe

Curator: Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa

Exhibitors: Wallen Mapondera, Ronald Muchatuta, Kresiah Mukwazhi, Terrence Musekiwa

Venue: Santa Maria della Pietà, Calle della Pietà

SPECIAL PROJECTS realised by La Biennale di Venezia

– Forte Marghera Special Project, Mestre

Elisa Giardina Papa, one of the artists taking part in the International Exhibition (in competition), was invited by Cecilia Alemani to make a special work in Forte Marghera, in the building called Polveriera austriaca.

– Applied Arts Pavilion Special Project, Arsenale, Sale d’Armi

Artist Sophia Al-Maria was selected to present a work in the Applied Arts Pavilion, titled Tiger Strike Red, at the Sale d’Armi, Arsenale. This is the third time of collaboration between La Biennale di Venezia and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London at the Biennale Arte.

PIAZZA UCRAINA

The aim of this project is giving a voice to artists and the art community of Ukraine as well as other countries in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. La Biennale di Venezia presents Piazza Ucraina, a space for debate and conversation, by the Curators of the Ukrainian Pavilion Borys Filonenko, Lizaveta German, Maria Lanko. Realized in the context of the 59th International Art Exhibition with the collaboration of the Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund (UEAF) and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, Piazza Ucraina is an open-air installation at
the Spazio Esedra in the Giardini of La Biennale, designed by Ukrainian architect Dana Kosmina.

COLLATERAL EVENTS

30 Collateral Events, which are admitted by the Curator and promoted by non-profit national and international bodies and institutions, take place in several locations around the city of Venice. They offer a wide range of contributions and participations that enrich the diversity of voices that characterizes the Exhibition.

INTERNATIONAL JURY and GOLDEN LIONS FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia, upon recommendation by the Artistic Director Cecilia Alemani, has appointed the International Jury of the 59th International Art Exhibition composed by: Adrienne Edwards (USA), President of the Jury, Lorenzo Giusti (Italy), Julieta González (Mexico), Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung (Cameroon), Susanne Pfeffer (Germany).

The International Jury  awards the following official prizes: Golden Lion for best National Participation; Golden Lion for best participant in the International Exhibition;
Silver Lion for a promising young participant in the International Exhibition.

The German artist Katharina Fritsch and the Chilean artist Cecilia Vicuña are the recipients of the Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement of the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The Biennale Arte 2022 awards ceremony was held on April 23rd, 2022 at Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of La Biennale di Venezia.

EDUCATIONAL

For the past decade, La Biennale di Venezia has been devoting increased attention to learning activities and has developed a growing commitment to educational initiatives addressed to the audience of its Exhibitions, to universities, young people, and children, from schools at all levels. In the past two years, the Art and Architecture Exhibitions had 82,819 participants in Educational activities in total, amongst whom 48,006 were youngsters. A broad Educational programme has been scheduled for 2022 as well, addressed to individuals and groups of students, children, adults, families, professionals, companies, and universities. All the initiatives aim at actively involving the participants, and are led by professional operators, carefully trained by La Biennale di Venezia. They are divided into two categories: Guided Tours and Workshop Activities. (See document attached herein)

CATALOGUE AND GRAPHIC IDENTITY

The official catalogue, titled “The Milk of Dreams”, consists of two volumes. Volume I of the catalogue is dedicated to the International Exhibition, curated by Cecilia Alemani. This volume includes the Curator’s original contribution as well as a wide range of illustrations and critical essays by some of today’s most cutting-edge thinkers and writers. Volume II is focused on the National Participations and the Collateral Events. The Exhibition Guide is conceived to accompany the visitor through the Exhibition.

The graphic identity of Biennale Arte 2022 and the publication’s design are by A Practice for Everyday Life, London. The graphic identity explores ideas of fluidity, identity, the human and the non-human, re-enchantment, and fragmentation. The graphic identity positions artists’ works at its forefront, featuring details from artworks by Belkis Ayón, Felipe Baeza, Tatsuo Ikeda, and Cecilia Vicuña. These disparate artworks are united in their representation of eyes, which are symbolic of important ideas running through the exhibition: dreams, identity, the body, and reflection.

*The three volumes are published by La Biennale di Venezia.

LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA – 59th International Art Exhibition

The Milk of Dreams

23 April 23 to 27 November 2022

Venice, Italy