Venice Biennale 2011 Giardini Review - Essay Example

Venice Biennale (Giardini only) Review Introduction The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s largest and most significant art exhibitions. TheVenice Biennale has an illustrious history dating back to the late 19th century; it has lasted through a number of prominent historical events, and experienced a wide variety of famed curators. The exhibition itself occurs every two years and features art presented at pavilions from countries throughout the globe. In terms of content the exhibition is designed for contemporary art, the genres and structural constraints of which are very in liberal in nature; regularly country pavilions contain selections of film, photography, visual, and sculptural material. The exhibitions themselves are featured at Gardini Park and currently contain thirty national countries; this figure is regularly growing (for instance, 2005 was the first year China was featured). The 2011 Venice Biennale featured selections from numerous countries and genres of cutting-edge art selections. While a comprehensive review of all the countries would be lengthy, it is possible to consider some of the most prominent exhibitions. This essay reviews the Egyptian, German, French, British, Korean, and Japanese pavilions. Egypt While the Egyptian Pavilion is one of the more sporadic of the national pavilions at the 2011 Venice Biennale, it is also one of the more intriguing. The pavilion is noted as being, “honored to present a project in the name of friend and brother, Ahmed Basiony (1978-2011)” ("Universes in Universe"). Basiony was a professor that was recently killed by a sniper during the Egyptian political upheaval. As such, the works contained at the pavilion are a broad ranging selection of Basiony’s work. While a number of Basiony’s work is featured, perhaps the most prominent at the exhibition is his project 30 Days of Running in the Space. This exhibition is a highly abstract concept that is very visually appealing. The piece features an enclosed structure that is constructed with plastic sheets. The artist would then wear a sensory-based suit that would calculate levels of sweat he produced while inside of the enclosed structure that would then be transferred to the walls of the structure and produce a varying degree of corresponding colors. Considered alone, one can view a number of transcendental themes about the nature of the human and the universe and the singularity of existence. However, the Egyptian pavilion is noted to occur as an interaction with the other of Basiony’s pieces. In these regards, 30 Days of Running in the Space is juxtaposed against a number of other screens of material. One of the most prominent such juxtapositions are unedited film footage of individuals running during the revolts on the streets of Cairo. Within the context of the pavilion, Basiony’s original 30 Days of Running in the Space piece takes on newfound political connotations. For instance, the different colors produced by the individual running now represent fear and energy and the revolutionary spirit. In addition to these exhibits, a number of Basiony’s short film work is featured. The work was curated by Aida Eltoire and captures the recent tumultuous political and cultural occurrences of the region. German The German Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale was also of the most outstanding of the world participating cultures. Indeed, the country won the festival’s Golden Lion award for Best National Participation ("Christoph schlingensief. german," 2011). Among the exhibits that were featured at the German exhibition include Christoph Schliengensief’s theatrical productions and films. In briefly viewing these works one is struck by their intense power and focus. Curated by Susanne Gaensheimer, the selection of Schliengenseif’s work varies in nature from experimental video work, photographic stills, and abstract art constructions. Among these works include the Fluxus oratorio A Church of Fear vs. the Alien Within; while highly abstract in nature, it’s clear that the work explores deep and powerful existential themes of existence, including death and suffering. While Schliengenseif died before the artwork at his pavilion was exhibited, the exhibition itself functions as a prominent testament to the nature of his work. One of the notable elements of this pavilion is the nature of it as bringing Schliengenseif’s work to an international audience, as his work previously was only featured in the German language. In this context of understanding, the German pavilion works within the broader cultural intentions of the Venice Biennale in that it brings uniquely German cultural productions to the international art community. While there are a multitude of Schliengenseif film and still art work featured throughout the German pavilion, a number of prominent themes can be detected that point towards an overriding tone. Among these themes include a general concern with political action. While it’s difficult to determine Schliengenseif’s intentions without a detailed understanding of his work, one recognizes that his implementation of the Fluxus signification contains with it possible Marxist connotations. In terms of aesthetics, Schliengenseif’s work seems to carry strong influences from Rainer Werner Fassbinder in that the films are highly stylized and contain a uniquely German edge. Ultimately, the German pavilion is unique in its powerful and genre altering presentations. French France has a history of being one of the most innovative country in terms of both modern and historical art production. Representing France at the 2011 Venice Biennale is artist Christian Boltanski. While some other pavilions, such as the German pavilion, feature artists that have yet to have been prominently featured internationally, Boltanski has already gained considerable acclaim. The French pavilion also features a noted theme of ‘Chance’, also a unique aspect among the other international pavilions. Within the confines of this pavilion it’s noted that, “It deals with a theme that is dear to him: luck, bad luck and chance, forces that fascinate us and impose their own laws” ("E Flux"). The curator of the exhibition is Jean-Hubert Martin who is also the honorary director of the Georges Pompidou Musee National d’Art Moderne. When considering the pavilion in the broader context of Boltanski’s work one notes that it covers a large amount of new territory. While Boltanski’s work is generally recognized as exploring notions of death and disappearance, the thematic considerations inherent in chance clearly reflect a new concern towards notions of fate and determinism. The main element featured at the pavilion is an installation also referred to as ‘Chance’. The installation is complex and explores a number of transcendental themes. While historically Boltanski’s work has bored on more despondant and existential themes, there is an ambience in this installation that creates a strong lyrical feel for the overriding pavilion. The installation itself is a structure composed of industrial and mechanical components. Throughout the installation, Boltanski makes great use of light to creates a sort of ambience that gives the construction a unique feel. While there are no overriding political themes inherent in Boltanski’s work, the installation explores a wide-variety of philosophical notions. Indeed, the structural nature of the exhibition lends itself to a game where the viewer attempts to make interpretable sense of its various dimensions. Ultimately, while the French pavilion lacks the political thrust of some of the other international exhibitions, it is highly notable for its aesthetic and philosophical explorations. British The British Biennale is curated by the British Council and features work by artist Mike Nelson. The main work featured is Mike Nelson’s ‘I Impostor,’ an installation piece. In considering the exhibition, the British Council notes that, “Nelson's large-scale sculptural installations immerse the viewer in an unfolding narrative which develops through a sequence of meticulously realised spatial structures. The weaving of fact and fiction are fundamental to Nelson’s practice, and his constructs are steeped in both literary and historic references, whilst drawing upon the geography and cultural context of their location” ("Venice Biennale"). While such a description is abstract in nature, the exhibit itself is featured in a museum like structure with stark lighting and minimalist tones. The specific work builds off of Nelson’s previous work for the Istanbul Biennial. The connection between the two exhibitions has been argued to represent the connection between the historic eastern and western trade connections. The exhibition also harkens back to British 19th century imperialism in its structural presentation of the darkroom and caravanserai. When considering this specific pavilion in comparison to the other international exhibitions one considers the nature of the British Council as the curator. While the other exhibitions feature government appointed curators they are nevertheless directly removed from government institutionalism. This is not true for the British Council curated pavilion; as such the historical and nationally relevant thematic content reflects a more pedestrian interaction with contemporary art. Korea The Korean pavilion features work by artist Lee Yongbaek. Yongbaek’s work is highly notable for its colorful nature and explosive style. It’s noted that the exhibition, “presenting 14 multimedia works by artist lee yongbaek in an exhibition titled, 'the love is gone but the scar will heal.' with works in video, photography, sculpture and painting, the show explores identity and existentialism amid the artifice of contemporary society” ("Design Boom"). While other international pavilions implement historical, political, or philosophical thematic content, the Korean pavilion is notable for its overriding concern with aesthetics. In ‘Angel Soldier’ the artist presents video footage of a floral landscape with minimal movements contained within the presentation. While its difficult to attach a specific meaning to the work, the bright colors and floral arrangements are successful in creating a colorful and engaging view of a country that is oftentimes envisioned as drab and sorrowful. In terms of political messages, the pavilion features soldier uniforms with floral arrangements. The names of Nam June Park, John Cage, and other artists are featured on the nametags. While its difficult to determine the underlining message of these uniforms, one can surmise that the juxtaposition of the artists’ names and floral arrangements with the soldiers’ uniforms is a comment on the nature of art as containing revolutionary messages. It might also be a comment on the nature of war as extraneous to cultural communication. Ultimately, the Korean pavilion is notable for its efflorescent aestheticism and its unpretentious presentation of thematic content. Japanese The Japanese pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale features artist Tabaimo. The exhibition is organized by the Japan Foundation and commissioned by Yuka Uematsu. Tabaimo is considered one of the country’s most seminal artists and in considering his work at the Venice Biennale it’s clear how this is true. The most prominent of Tabaimo’s works featured at the exhibit is the ‘teleco-soup’ exhibit. It’s noted that this exhibit, “connotes the idea of an "inverted" soup, or the inversion of relations between water and sky, fluid and container, self and world” ("E Flux"). The exhibit itself is highly complex in its underlining meaning, but it’s notable in its inward concerns with Japanese society. Structurally, the pavilion contains a series of images through multi-channel animation. Even as the philosophical or sociological meaning of the images is vague and requires in-depth understanding of Japanese culture, one can appreciate their colorful and mysterious content. In these regards, they combine minimalist tones with historical and mythological Japanese imagery. At times they seem to harken back to an earlier era of Japanese society, and in other instances they broadly confront elements of the globalized world. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has examined prominent pavilions at the 2011 Venice Biennale. Among the countries reviewed include Egypt, Germany, France, Britain, Korean, and Japan. Within this context of investigation the essay revealed that the Egyptian pavilion juxtaposed transcendental themes with footage of political upheaval from the country’s recent revolts. The German pavilion is notable in its presentation of recently deceased artist Christoph Schliengensief, whose artwork had never been exhibited in translation to an international audience. The French pavilion is notable in its exploration of philosophical themes of fate and determinism. The British pavilion is notable for its institutional theme and explorations of mercantilism. The Korean pavilion explores aesthetic concerns through elaborate floral arrangements in a variety of contexts. Finally, the Japanese pavilion implements the work of artist Tabaimo in examining sociological elements of Japanese society in a variety of artistic mediums. 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