This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our cookie policy.
Venice was full of surprises, twists, and turns. My favourite was the French Pavilion by Julien Creuzet titled ‘Beyond the Shore’, where he created an immersive installation based on myths in water and in the seas
Inspiration was drawn from different locations around the Caribbean, Latin America and West Africa
The German Pavilion ‘Thresholds’ looked at both the past and the future, and I was struck by the incredible effort and work that had gone into this Pavilion. As I walked in to the work of Ersan Mondtag titled ‘Monument eines unbekannten Menschen’ (Monument of an Unknown Person), which was a three level structure in which we experience the subject’s daily struggles which shortened their life span. It was a feeling of being trapped and in prison
It was based on the life of the artist’s grandfather Hasan Aygün who was from a rural region east of Ankara. He moved to West Berlin and tragically died of severe lung condition.
Then on the other end of the spectrum was Yael Bartana’s work ‘Light to the Nations’, a look at the future and a sense of hope. A spaceship took the form of Kabbalah symbols and allowed us to experience a glimpse into the idealistic future based on Jewish symbols and mysticism
Then the highlight of our trip was the visit to John Akomfrah ‘Listening All Night To The Rain’. He introduced us to his show, explaining that it was a feast of ideas and interpretations of cultural memory interacting with the here and now, as well as our future
Akomfrah’s work explored using the power of memory in determining the future. He addressed the Windrush Generation who emigrated in 1948 on the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948. He shed light on the discrimination faced by British migrants, as well as the life and death of David Oluwale who was drowned in the River Aire by a local policeman
Next up was a visit to the Israel Pavillion, where artist Ruth Patir was showing. The artist decided to close the doors of her show until all hostages were released and a ceasefire was reached. Her work discussed IVF and her experience of going through this process in Israel
The work of Jeffrey Gibson in the USA Pavilion gave us hope and was based on indigenous and queer histories with references to popular subcultures. His use of pattern and abstract geometries reflected the vibrant realities of the indigenous communities in the US
Jeffrey Gibson stood as a live statue, as if he had become part of his own work
Julia Greenway our brilliant curator was very pregnant and showing off her lovely tummy!
We headed to the Italian Pavilion where Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Juriki-Olivo) showed ‘A sculpture for Trans Women A sculpture for the Non-Binary Femmes A sculpture for Two-Spirit People...’, created using a 3D scan of the artist’s body
The work was activated by a strong performance by the artist
I loved ‘Refugee Astronaut VIII’ (2024) by Yinka Shonibare which was challenging displacement and talking about space as being a refuge of escape
Right in the centre, a ritual was happening. Fabrics draped over cubist structures and spiritual worship by Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic addressed how the world is being shaped by colonialism and migration
Nearby was the work of Bárbára Sánchez-Kane which addressed the masculinity of the militia ritual protecting the Mexican National flag. She created a performance of this ritual with open backed clothing, exposing lingerie
I loved the work of Joshua Serafin titled ‘Void’. Joshua is a multidisciplinary artist born in the Philippines
I loved these wonderful relics by Lauren Halsey, which felt like they had been installed for thousands of years. The work was inspired by everyday life in Los Angeles and was a gesture to uphold the Black and African American diaspora
On our travels we bumped into our friends Robert and Russell, who were happy to be meeting artist William Kentridge
Williams’ off-site show was warm and welcoming
Agnes Questionmark is an artist questioning the transgender body and biopolitics. Here, the body and the apparatus becomes one inside an operating room which is at the same time fully monitored
Carmine Caputo di Roccanova was looking for a wife
The Ethiopian Pavilion was showing Tesfaye Urgessa ‘Prejudice and Belonging’ curated by Lemn Sissay
