at the th 70 Q&A with Bice Curiger 72 Saleh Barakat on the Venice Biennale 74 Egypt 76 Iraq 78 Saudi Arabia 80 Turkey 82 United Arab Emirates 84 Collateral events & other info VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE a y b e used to riger m her pos t as Bice Cu u g h g, th ro thaus, travellin he Zurich Kuns of t ce curator she has held sin rial n ito a positio hrough her ed dt ditor- 1993, an -founder and e co porary roles as Parkett Contem f in-chief of a n d P u blisher o azine ce art mag gazine. But sin ma rtistic Tate Etc tm ent as A o in e her app the 54th Venic of ave Director uriger’s trips “h ,C s in Biennale into bigger trip ed he intensifi iods of time”. T ian, pe r rt histor shorter ra t o r, a orn cu y Swiss-b critic is alread n d t author a e r n e x t projec on h ich working ition at the Zur or ib df – an exh , initially planne us as Kunstha er but which h d m an this sum oned to 2012, st p ion of been po les a juxtaposit art. ack que which t ra r y a nd Baro uriger p o C Contem d speaks with st A y a its large Myrna a le an d ienn stern on the B n of Middle Ea atio g particip date – somethin to s as her nations e r vie w art which C urig o th e [r egional] ction t “very “introdu one that she is ut”. nd bo scene” a to learn more a ed interest 70 t he Venice Biennale is all about na- tional participation and referencing artists based on their nationality. And yet, many Middle Eastern artists dis- like being labelled as ‘Lebanese’, ‘Al- gerian’ or ‘Iranian’ etc. How do you feel about this? What are your thoughts on limiting and classifying an artist based on their nationality? There are different ways to perceive this and I think we should be more honest and pragmatic. This is an expression for an artist of a country in the 20th What kind of perspective do you feel Middle Eastern art gives Contemporary art in general? While I was in Doha [for the opening of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art], a wide history of art was made accessible, one that was not previously present. It would be interesting to see this written about and analysed in terms of what were regional and international influences. Told/ Untold/Retold is a very good show and curatori- ally really smart; it was great to connect it with Mathaf’s opening. From curating shows to curating a biennale – what are some pointers to consider and what kind of mental framework must one apply? I’m really glad to have experience in publishing and museum curating – I’m used to analysing a place and the status quo of how things are viewed. Some conventions have to be chal- lenged and that’s basically what I do in my cu- ratorial practice, [so being Artistic Director of the Venice Biennale] isn’t so different, but you look at new topics. The Biennale theme of IL- century. It might not be appealing [to some], but What impression did Mathaf give you on the LUMInations is quite self-reflective. It’s looking at it helps others to know about a person’s cultural regional art scene? the institution of the Biennale and art, but also background and that’s the important message I was impressed! It was an enormous job to bring hopefully optimistically. here – but also to have an open notion of culture this together and present it coherently. As I am Given how large the Biennale is, why did you as a moving, changing force and not as something not very familiar with Middle Eastern art I couldn’t limit it to four parapavilions? And what are static. It’s great [in Venice] to see all these experts, say if the works were good or bad, or suggest your thoughts on blurring identities and na- from different corners of the world, present their another presentation, thematically or geographi- tionalities in an event like the Biennale? Image courtesy the Venice Biennale. ideas. For a curator, it’s difficult to travel to 89 cally. It’s important to dig deeper on the lives of the Parapavilions relate to the national pavilions in a countries and become an expert! [Modern] artists. playful way. I think four is a good number to be- Jack Persekian was recently dismissed as You have asked participating artists five ques- gin with. To create a big structure like the para- Artistic Director of the Sharjah Biennial over a tions, which Canvas now poses to you. pavilions, you’ve got to approach artists who are ‘controversial’ work by Algerian artist Mustafa 1. Where do you feel at home? used to working in big structures, while others Benfodil. What are your thoughts on censor- Many places. prefer neutral territory. I also wanted to interrupt ship in curating? 2. Does the future speak English or another the long space in the Arsenale, which can look [In the process of curating] curators discuss and language? like corridors. Parapavilions help break up this advise artists. Sometimes, [even] in very liberal so- Sadly, the future is speaking bad English and narrative and interweave the projects. On blur- cieties, you have to protect children and the public many languages have and will disappear. ring identities – if you take the parapavilion of from offensive things. For example, Benetton’s ad Maybe in 100–200 years, new languages will American-born Paris-based Oscar Tuazon, he has campaign in the early 1990s was made to shock develop and be technically induced. chosen the work of a Basque artist, which in turn people – an image of a person dying from AIDS, 3. Is the artistic community a nation? reflects on Basque history of art and moderni- another of a priest and nun kissing and so on. I was Metaphorically, yes. I think we all live in sation. Tuazon poses questions you pose in the always against this campaign, because of its place- different milieux and are part of different Middle East – they are topical questions. If this ment in the public space. It’s not right when com- ‘scenes’ at the same time. We speak a ‘dialect’ work was shown in the Spanish Pavilion, it would panies do this for publicity. When artists do this, it’s and switch to other languages all the time. have had a different interpretation. different because he/she is behind that gesture There are different ‘nations’ overlapping in How does art ‘ILLUMInate’ you? and is there to defend his/her act. Artists should be the art scene; it’s not [just] one. It’s an important aspect of my life. Illumination free to do what they want, but not hurt people in 4. How many nations do you feel inside makes you think and discover new takes on the the process. yourself? world that you would have otherwise not come This year’s Biennale features the largest ever Many. When I go to London for example, I have across and I’m grateful for that and that I can participation of Middle Eastern Pavilions. What to teach my body that I’m in a country where be active in that field. Artists give me all these are your thoughts on this and the regional I have to look left and right because someone [different] impulses; they make me intelligent scene in general? has made a traffic rule. every day. I think the world is paying attention and it’s an inter- 5. If art was a nation what would be written in What thoughts or feelings do you want visitors esting situation in [exploring] the meaning of culture. its constitution? to the Biennale to walk away with? We read newspapers, but in art and culture one can I asked this question to artists and while I am not I believe it’s good if an exhibition makes you address topics differently and show complexities or an artist myself, would say the rule is to break the thoughtful about the world, and remember: art issues of daily news which are not covered. rule. Breaking rules can be fun! should also make you happy. 71 From as ea ninth ce rly as the ntury, Ve has bee nic n a majo e centre, p r trade articular the Byza ly w ntine Em ith and the p ire Isla and late mic world r, throug Ottoma ht n Sultan he the esta s. With blishme the Venic nt o e Bienna f in 1895, le the city again po onc sitioned e as a cen it tre – thr self art and ou gh cult rise of M ure. With the iddle Ea particip stern ation at Venice B the iennale years, Sa ove leh Bara r the k the cult at looks at weight o u ral f the Bie for natio n nale ns, their scenes a lo c nd their al art artists. w hen I began writ- ing this introduc- tion, my memories took me back nos- talgically to 2003, when I attended my very first Venice Biennale and visited Catherine David’s Contemporary Arab Representations exhibition at the Arse- nale. A new chapter of my life was opened. I came back in 2005 to participate in the Venice Agenda IV meetings and discuss the Beirut Con- ni, probably the most fervent militant for Arab artistic presence in Venice. He became a driving force, which motivated my colleague Sandra Dagher [co-director of Beirut Art Center, page 60] and I to curate the first national Pavilion of Lebanon in 2007, a statement of Lebanese re- silience following the destructive 2006 Israeli invasion (Urbani was appointed commissioner for Lebanon in 2007 and for the Palestine c/o Venice collateral show in 2009; this year, he is co-commissioner of the Iraq Pavilion). In 2009, I temporary art scene in the preceding decade returned to witness Palestine’s grand entrance (1995–2005). This was when I made the happy to La Serenissima through a generous initiative encounter with paediatrician Dr Vittorio Urba- from patrons Rana Sadik and Samer Younes. It 72 VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE was also an occasion to celebrate the Gulf’s first tunity for artists from different Arab countries to cal artists and art scenes further in their pursuit foray in Venice through the UAE’s inaugural Pa- interact, learn and transcend to higher spheres. for art as a major societal expression. To get vilion at the Arsenale. In the absence of museums and quality art in- significant results, national committees should The Middle Eastern presence at the Ven- stitutions in the Arab world, going to Venice be formed with the right expertise on board, a ice Biennale has been rather shy since the becomes a goal in the course of continuous passionate vision and appropriate budgets to Biennale was established in 1895. Apart from knowledge and self actualisation. It’s true that prepare for this event two, four or six years in the Egypt Pavilion in the Giardini, granted in national representation remains a question- advance. Only through careful long-term plan- 1952, which ensures a permanent presence able approach as to how truly it is representa- ning can Middle Eastern representation reach for Egypt in the Biennale, regional nations tive of the real art scene back home – the ques- a mature stage. This 54th edition comes at a have rarely participated, although Iraq had tion of national representation and the debate watershed moment in the history of missed a Pavilion in 1976 and 1990 and Iran in 1958 over the importance of a national Pavilion as opportunities in the formation of the modern and 2003. While works by some Middle East- compared to an independent artistic presence Middle East seeking to open a door on a bright ern artists have been showcased at the Venice beyond national politics and governmental and promising regional participation in Venice. Biennale, participation in the form of national It hopes for a prolongation of effort to ensure “ Pavilions stepped up in the mid 2000s – Mo- a lasting presence in Venice. So far, Middle rocco participated in 2005, 2007 and 2009; Going to the Eastern Pavilions have mostly been the result Lebanon and Turkey in 2007; Syria in 2007 and 2009; Palestine (through a collateral show) and Venice Biennale is not of personal initiatives, but if this momentum is to be sustainable and constructive, it needs to the UAE in 2009. This year witnesses a grow- about being there, be institutionalised. Thinkers, intellectuals and ing crop, with the announced participation of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Turkey, the UAE nor is it a question of academicians need to be involved in putting viable strategies to nurture artists of the future. (and of course, Egypt). vanity, egos This is bound to happen sooner or later with Photography by David Levenson. ” Venice’s Arabic name is Al-Bundoukiyyah, the growing crowd of actors in the regional art which literally translates as ‘firearm’. During the or means. scene. I hope the Middle East will understand Renaissance, the city was the main exporter finally how important it is today to export a of early firearms, which shot round steel bul- guidance – but the Biennale remains a major contemporary image of itself, an image of a lets shaped similarly to hazelnuts, known as opportunity to shed light on what is happen- productive culture, alive and kicking. Bundouk in Arabic, hence the name Al-Bun- ing in the art world in this part of the globe. And why Venice in particular? The Bien- doukiyyah, or the ‘nut shooter’. Around five National Pavilions of Arab countries so far have nale, in spite of the many criticisms around centuries later, the Arabs resume their rela- rarely presented well-curated exhibitions based it, remains the foremost qualitative non-com- tionship with Venice through a more peaceful on defined concepts and many of the experi- mercial global encounter of the art world to- form of exchange – that of art and culture. In ences (with the exception of the Lebanon and day. And in a world experiencing a growing these dark times of rising fundamentalism and UAE Pavilions and the Palestine c/o Venice col- polarisation and tension between a Northern/ a clash of cultures, the Biennale offers a win- lateral event) have been rather disappointing, Western Christian block, and a Southern/East- dow of hope for the entire world to discover without proper documentation or any trace of ern Muslim one, Venice could play its historical yet another facet of the Arab world – one of published material. I hope this year will witness and edgy attitude towards dialogue, creating aesthetic communication, visual art and crea- more carefully studied initiatives. the platform to expose the best of internation- tive expression, in contrast with a stereotyped Going to the Venice Biennale is not about al creative expressions, where free discourse is Arab world of violence, hostility and wars. being there, nor is it a question of vanity, egos allowed, and multiplicity is considered a sign The Biennale is also an unparalleled oppor- or means. It should be a noble aim to take lo- of enrichment, not a threat. 73 egypt 30 Days of Running In The Place For a while, it looked like Egypt, career, was in fact Ahmed Basiouny, who, on 28 alongside Lebanon and Bah- January, at only 32 years of age, was killed by rain, would also be pulling out a sniper bullet during Cairo’s already infamous of this year’s Biennale. The longest-running Mid- Tahrir Square demonstrations. dle Eastern Pavilion at the Biennale, granted its The exhibition is then by its very nature a own dedicated space in the Giardini in 1952, it complex one – a video of one of Basiouny’s 2010 seemed incomprehensible that Egypt would performance pieces, from which the Pavilion not take part. For weeks, available information this year takes its name, will be shown alongside was sketchy at best and when it was finally raw footage shot by Basiouny himself at Tahrir confirmed that an Egyptian Pavilion would, af- Square – retrieved from his computer after his ter all, take place, it was a bittersweet moment death. Both act as documentary footage of past for many. The young artist selected to represent events, rather than as video works per se and will his country, normally a high point in any artist’s be accompanied by a soundtrack engineered by artist Magdi Mostafa. It is a set up that could Clockwise from bottom left: quite easily become clichéd and hackneyed, A still from a documentary by Ahmed drawing on the sensationalism of the revolution Basiouny on 26 January 2010. and emotional resonances of Basiouny’s martyr- Concert with Ahmed Basiouny and ABO Asala at DARB 17 18, part of the annual 00LIVE dom rather than on the work itself, something electronic music concert in May 2010. of which curators Aida Eltorie and Shady El- 30 Days Running In The Place. March 2010. Live multimedia performance as part of the Noshokaty are more aware than anyone. “Above Why Not exhibition. all, this is meant to be about the life of an artist,” All images courtesy Egypt Pavilion. explains Eltorie. “We can’t forget that the actual Pavilion is about the Biennale – we’re not here to make political statements. We allow the art- 74 VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE “ This video... is the last video to be shot by [Bassiouny] with his own hands – footage that he paid for with his life. ” ist to do that. As he’s dead, we had to take on partly because a revolution such as this needs the responsibility of how best to represent him a lot of time to fully understand. The changes without disrespecting the transitional regime in Egypt haven’t finished yet.” Easier said than in Egypt that’s helping us.” Both Eltorie and El- done, however, and one must ask – if the focus Noshokaty note that the tragedy in all of this is not on the revolution, then why show foot- is that, had he lived, Basiouny might not have age of Tahrir Square? “This is a topic that we been selected for the Egyptian Pavilion. How- have discussed at length,” admits Mostafa. “At ever, he has, and in doing so, marks the first time the end of the day, what is important is that yes, that the Pavilion has veered away from the more this video was captured in the middle of the traditional media of painting and sculpture. “30 action, but above and beyond that, it is the Days of Running in the Place happened at a very last video to be shot by the artist with his own significant time for Basiouny,” explains Eltorie, “he hands – footage that he paid for with his life.” was 32 years-old at the time, roughly the same A sobering presentation, the soundtrack Artist age as Mubarak’s regime.” The performance to accompany the five video screens is being Commissi : Ah med piece sees Basiouny use various new media soft- produced by Mostafa from music composed by Min istry on Basiou Cur o er ny ware to read heat and energy levels emitted by Basiouny over the last two years. “I’m making a ato f Cultur : Egypt Executive r: A e his body for an hour a day over 30 days, trans- selection of the most important pieces he was ida Sha Elto dy E C r lated into a visual representation, addressing creating and I’m working on the sound quality Multimedia l-No u rat ie sho katy r:o “the wasted energy produced in a visual image,” to create them into a surround-sound multi- Mag d according to El-Noshokaty. channel piece,” explains Mostafa, a close friend Themei Most Engin afa eer The : ing This footage, along with that shot in Tahrir of Basiouny’s and also an artist. “Sound can give Plac 30 Days : Add e of R Square, will be joined by footage of workshops you certain energies – different sounds can r ess unn WEB : Gia ing In conducted by Basiouny to “give the audience the change the feel of the same image; sound can ww SITE: rdin i d w.ah i Cas experience of his character and of life in Egypt,” make you feel sad or happy, or simply enhance med tello basi ony says Eltorie. “Egypt is very much about simulta- the way you are.” The sadness in all of this is .com neousness – it’s hard to call it an order, perhaps the dedication with which Mostafa, Eltorie it’s a chaotic order – and we wanted to bring out and El-Noshokaty have pieced together that experience, as well as that of the revolution, Basiouny’s footage and the circumstances through his works. It was a very personal expe- which led to his presence at the Biennale rience, not what the world was seeing on CNN in the first place. “He was a brilliant in- and BBC, who were filming from buildings and teractive artist, so Avant-garde in his balconies – Basiouny was right in the thick of it.” ideas and the kinds of projects he So, while the curatorial focus of the Pavilion is produced,” says El-Noshokaty. “He on Basiouny the artist, not Basiouny the martyr, was completely neglected his it will be hard to avoid the latter. “This project is whole life [on the international sensitive,” agrees El-Noshokaty. “We want to in- art stage] and I think people troduce Basiouny the artist and honour him as need to see that this sort one. It’s very clear in our curatorial statements – of art is being produced this project is not about the Egyptian revolution in Egypt.” BY ANNA and we, as a team, refused to produce it as such, WALLACE-THOMPSON VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE iraq Acqua Ferita/Wounded Water If ever there was a time for Con- Clockwise from top right: Ahmed Alsoudani. (Detail) Untitled. 2011. Charcoal, acrylic and temporary Iraqi artists to re- oil on canvas. 160 x 156.2 cm. Photography by Jeffrey Sturges. Image courtesy Haunch of Venison. ceive international recognition on a high profile platform such as the Venice Artist Adel Abidin. Photography by Martin Jaeger. Biennale, the time is now. Following a 35-year Curator of the Iraq Pavilion, Mary Angela Schroth. Photography by Giulia Corsi. absence from the cultural event, largely due to the country’s longstanding political conflicts, the Iraq Pavilion returns this year with a theme to secure funding for the project, a dicey endeav- very much in tune with contemporary issues – our but one made possible thanks to the support that of water resources (or lack thereof ) in Iraq. of the Patrons Committee, co-chaired by Shwan “We chose Wounded Water because we wanted Ibrahim Taha, a young Iraqi entrepreneur and to get away from the subject of war,” explains Reem Shather-Kubba, the latter whom Schroth Rome-based international curator Mary An- affectionately dubs ‘Saint Reem’. “Being passion- d Aza in, gela Schroth. “Water is the single most relevant ate about Iraqi art, it was a natural stepping-stone A s saf, el Abid 5) : Ali Siti, Ad nvas 5. aspect of our daily life, especially in Iraq. It is a to get involved,” smiles Shather-Kubba. “I was de- tists lid Ca Ar keli, Wa dani ( real and fundamental social issue across the lighted to have people view this as a landmark a u . Nan ed Also -Karim li Assaf board. And of course, water is a subject of opportunity. It has been a challenge and we have h m A l : A A m e r n d Hali o n n e r: Venice as well.” had a few setbacks, but we formulated a dream a o Commissi o mmissi n i gela Along with participating Iraqi artist and team of patrons and corporate sponsors. It really c Co- rio Urb ary An a M Commissioner Ali Assaf, Schroth sought out art- has been about approaching certain people that Vitto ator: Cur th. rita/ ists who represented two generations, selecting we know and from there, there is a ripple effect.” o u a Fe on, Sch r E q : Ac ter u ndati i) ones who had borne the colossal weight of their With the support of Honorary Patron Zaha Hadid M a iF o ald THE ded W ervasut ia Garib i country’s history, and a second generation of the (Canvas 3.2 and 6.6), a major grant from the Arab n n Wou ress: G S Ana ( V Giardi Diaspora. The result? An amalgam of talents Fund for Arts and Culture, as well as other indi- dd n ta e e n A e tw dam , be that includes Assaf, Azad Nanakeli, Walid Siti, vidual and corporate contributors, the Pavilion Fon llo 995 . e e Cast rsenal Adel Abidin, Ahmed Alsoudani and Halim had achieved 85 per cent of the funding at the A : .org an d n o firaq Al-Karim. “Those were the artists that we time of press. o website avili w w.p thought would make a fascinating Pa- Another key element to the project’s pro- w vilion,” says Schroth. “There were others duction is the venue, which, much to the delight which would have been interesting of the artists, is an 11th-century building with an as well, but they were capricious or architectural structure that befits the space’s na- linked to certain political parties. We tional representation. “The site at the Gervasuti wanted a situation where there Foundation is beautiful and very unique, as it was harmony amongst the art- is between the Giardini and Arsenale,” adds ists and to have a broad vision Shather-Kubba. With each of the six artists shar- of Iraqi art.” Beyond choosing ing their musings on their country’s water situa- the participating artists and tion through their works, themes of rebuilding the curation of the works, and war undoubtedly seep into their oeuvres. “It Schroth’s role was also is important for me to revisit my homeland in my “ I want to put Iraq back on the map, and I want its artists to be recognised. ” work, which alludes to its struggles and the idea of chaos,” explains New York-based Alsoudani, who is bringing four paintings to the Biennale. The untitled acrylic on canvas pieces comprise myriad fragmented colours and forms against a blue backdrop. Despite maintaining that he didn’t strictly adhere to the Pavilion’s subject matter, his works can be perceived as a reflec- Organised by Echo, a not-for-profit organi- tion of the complexity of Iraq’s desolated and sation which aims to promote and support divided society. Rome resident Assaf’s two art- Contemporary Iraqi art and is founded and works – a video, Narciso, and the installation Al- directed by Rijin Sahakian, the Pavilion also Basrah, The Venice Of tYhe East, will be mounted includes Iraqi filmmaker Oday Rasheed’s short in different rooms and draw inspiration from the film Tigris (and other bodies of work), which cen- artist’s recent visit to his native city of Al-Basrah. ronmental issue at hand and, as the artist explains, tres on the works and lifestyles of Baghdad- Once referred to as ‘The Paris of the Orient’ with evoke the “toxic and nuclear waste and chemi- based artists Ahmed Nussayif, Ridah Farhan its abundant greenery and river, Shatt Al-Arab, cals” present in Kurdistan’s groundwater. Abidin is and Furat Al-Jamil. Presented by the Arizona Assaf was shocked by the city’s current dearth of based in Finland and his video installation, Con- State University, a panel discussion moderated water during his last voyage. “My works manifest sumption of War, relays the notion of water as an by Gordon Knox, Richard Toon and Sahakian the feelings that I experienced when I first saw elicitor of conflict, as he believes that “the next war entitled A Fluid Resistance will take place at the this,” he says. “I was sad and nostalgic.” will be a water war”. Kurdish artist Siti’s work Meso, Fondazione Quirini Stampalia on 4 June. The Al-Karim, who was born in 1963 in Najaf, has composed of acrylic twill, Mylar mirror, a fishing talk, which features various artists and scien- created an ambitious installation composed of line and wood, is based on an aerial view seen by tists, will broach subjects pertaining to creative three works; Nations Laundry, a three-channel the artist of Kurdistan’s Great Zab River. “When I practises in contemporary Iraq. video, an untitled photograph covered with flew over it recently, I was shocked by the short- This impressive line-up of works and events black silk and another video, Hidden Revolution. age of water and I think this is a great opportunity presents the Iraq Pavilion with a unique – and Al-Karim’s pieces hark back to his homeland and to shed light on a very real problem,” he says. His long overdue – opportunity to showcase its the idea of “overcoming the effects of politics and other piece, Beauty Spot, features a large-scale im- nation’s burgeoning artistic community, all the deceptions and in turn, transforming myself age of the Iraqi dinar banknote and depicts the while raising awareness of a subject pivotal and the camera into a single truth-seeking entity.” Gali Ali Beg waterfall in Kurdistan, a major tour- to the country’s rebuilding. “I want to put Iraq Kurdish artist Nanakeli’s installation AU (water in ist attraction that dries out in hot weather and back on the map, and I want its artists to be rec- Kurdish) and video installation Destnuej, which requires water to be pumped artificially in order ognised,” says Schroth. “This is going to be a real means purification, directly reference the envi- to keep it running. illumination for people to see.” BY TALA CHUKRI 77 saudi arabia The Black Arch One too many ironies took place Moroccan Muslim and Venetian Christian travel- as Saudi artist sisters Shadia and lers who had recorded their extensive journeys in Raja Alem sat in Venice’s Marco what became renowned books. While the day’s Polo Airport, waiting to board their flight to Paris. significance and the airport’s namesake help carve That November day was the ninth day in the Is- a preliminary sphere of understanding into the sis- lamic month of Dhu Al-Hijjah, when a fifth of the ters’ approach to The Black Arch – their artwork for world’s population stands vigil on the plains of the first-ever Saudi Pavilion – the central narrative Mount Arafat in Mecca as part of the Islamic Hajj takes its cue from the Biennale’s title, ILLUMInations. pilgrimage. “And we were doing the opposite!” It does so specifically through the notion of “trav- laughs Shadia, “we were in Venice, the Mecca of elling outside yourself and then inside yourself to the art world in a sense, to create an artwork.” An become illuminated,” adds Raja. The Mecca-born airport announcement was made and the sisters sisters cite a bedtime story told to them by their looked at each other in surprise, as though a rev- grandmother, of a king who took his queen to a elation had become apparent. “The announce- castle with 1000 doors and told her she had the Below: Virtual rendering of Shadia ment mentioned Marco Polo Airport and we liberty of opening all but one. Unable to resist and Raja Alem’s The Black Arch. 2011. Stainless steel, cast iron, immediately thought of Ibn Battuta and Marco temptation, the queen opened the forbidden door fabric and stone with projected photographic images and sound Polo,” says Raja, drawing parallels between the “and moved from the individual [sense of being] to installation. Arch: 350 x 700 x 20 cm. Cube: 100 x 100 cm. 3457 a whole new world, a totally new steel balls. Diamter: 7.4 cm each. experience,” says Shadia. The idea Left: Raja and Shadia Alem. of crossing to ‘the other side’ for the Images courtesy Kingdom of Saudi sake of enlightenment is The Black Arabia Pavilion. © Shadia Alem. Arch’s focal point, as is the tackling of similarities between Mecca and Venice. Aside from people flocking to both cities for enlightenment (spiritual for Mecca and artistic for Venice), both enjoy their roles as major trading ports and centres of cultural gathering. History is dotted with accounts of the Is- lamic world’s impact on the Venetian economy and culture, particularly as the lagoon’s trade neighbours included Alexandria, Cairo, Istanbul and Damascus. From pigments imported from the Ottomans for use in Venetian paintings and the Latin acqui- sitions and translations of Islamic physician and philosopher Ibn Sina’s (Avicenna) texts, to Islamic technology providing the basis for the Venetian Murano glass industry, relations between the Islamic world and the European port city flour- ished in the 15th and 16th centuries. (Incidentally, VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE Raja co-won the International Prize for Arab Fic- balls resemble the interaction of illumination, the tion, a prize established in collaboration with the exchange between nations.” The actual arch is an Booker Prize Foundation, for her The Dove’s Neck- oval form – the shape can suggest a crescent, lace, a novel based on Meccan society and which Noah’s ark, Venetian gondolas, the human eye, takes its name from a book by Islamic scholar a circling orbit and so on. But there’s sound and Ibn Hazm). Mecca and Venice go a long way photography too, captured from both cities. The back and the sisters aim to reflect on contem- experience the sisters had in Mecca – veiled and porary similarities too – namely, the gathering of clad in abayas, armed with a camera and sound- cultures to each city. “There is a very natural fit recording equipment, was fraught with difficulty between the two cities,” adds co-curator Robin but was an event which marked their first time in Start, who, aside from running London’s The Park the holy city as artists on a mission. “Because we Gallery, has been involved in Saudi Contempo- grew up in Mecca, we’re somehow programmed rary art for years and, following Edge of Arabia’s to feel a certain way when we hear its sounds or inaugural Platform at the Venice Biennale in view its sights,” says Shadia; “With this experience 2009, approached the Saudi Ministry of Culture we weren’t 100 per cent responsive to its holy as- with the belief that the Kingdom ought to par- pect and didn’t feel spiritual as such because we ticipate in the Biennale. “The Black Arch is about had a specific objective.” The sisters covered the movement, light and reflection,” adds co-curator ground – the sights and sounds of Mecca’s souks, Mona Khazindar, Director General of the Institut its Holy Mosque and markets – and also shot du Monde Arabe, “it’s a very original, powerful, footage from high above, where Shadia says the The idea of crossing to ‘the other side’ for sake of enlightenment is The Black Arch’s focal point, as is the Artists Raja Alem : Shadi tackling of similarities between Mecca and Venice. Commissi Abd a an d ulaz on Cur iz A e r: ls magical, poetic installation.” The curators had view of the assemblage of worshippers “created a and ators ebail R : approached five artists – Abdulnasser Gharem, patchwork, a mosaic of colours”. Within the arch Themeobin S Mona tart Kha Site : Th zind Ahmed Mater (Canvas 7.1), Faisal Samra (Canvas are, among others, pebbles gathered from Muz- : A e Bla ar web rsen ck A 1.2), Mahdi Al-Jeraibi and the sisters, asking each dalifah as part of the Hajj ritual of the stoning of the S ite ale rch ww w.sa : to produce a site-specific installation after view- devil to cleanse oneself of sins. “You gather all the udip avili ing the space in Venice. “The other artists had negative moments in your life and get rid of them onv enic e.co submitted very powerful proposals, but which metaphorically through this act,” explains Raja, “so m were perhaps not totally adapted to the context there is a moment of cleansing in our work, a re- of an international event like the Venice Bien- cycling of energy.” Dante’s Divine Comedy may nale,” explains Khazindar; “The work by the Alem come to mind – the soul’s cleansing in Pur- sisters was chosen based on its adaptation to the gatory defines a pause in its journey before Biennale’s concept, the originality of their theme its next destination. One may wonder why and the force of the actual work.” the arch is in fact black. “It’s the colour The work’s principle segment is a 350 x 700 of the Holy Kaa’ba and its Black Stone x 20 cm arch surrounded by 3457 stainless steel and also of Saudi women in their balls – viewers are reflected onto the work and abayas,” says Shadia. “Black is the col- vice versa in an intentional attempt by the art- our of darkness, the unknown, of ists to engage the audience, making it part of the mystery and ambiguity, and the artwork. “Each ball is like a universe or a nation whole artwork speaks of the and they all reflect each other,” explains Raja, “this transition to light and illumi- is what happens with humans too – when you nation, so you have to cross get exposed to any culture, you reflect your own to see what’s beyond.” and take in the reflection of the other culture. The BY MYRNA AYAD VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE turkey Plan B There was something about also one carefully considered by Erdemci and the miniature aspect of the her curatorial collaborator Danae Mossman. 2009 Turkish Pavilion, as Banu “A subtle and conceptually strong exhibition Cennetoglu’s CATALOGU 2009 and Ahmet with the participation of more than one art- Ögüt’s Exploded City were both housed within ist necessitates special attention,” explains Er- a small temporary space attached to the main demci. “It also needs concentration and time Arsenale. The Pavilion, Lapses, curated by Ba- on the part of visitors to process it – the links sak Senova with Nazli Gürlek, received critical between the various projects may pass unno- acclaim for its exploration of historical narra- ticed. We felt one strong project works better tives and the ‘lapses’ in our collective memory. in such a context.” en l ş e Erkm Istanbu Where both Cennetoglu and Ögüt were artists A strong curatorial-artistic relationship : Ay e r : on ulture of a younger generation, this year, the Pavilion, between Erkmen, Erdemci and Mossman can Artist o rC nf Plan B, has chosen internationally recognised be credited for the realisation of this project, Commissi t i o ci : o u nda E rdem ator Ayşe Erkmen as its sole star. “The challenge along with unwavering government support F t s l y a or Ar Fu and ator: Collab is for us to strike a balance between emerg- for Turkey’s attendance at the Venice Biennale. Cu r rial ato sman ing and established artists in the context of Having worked together at the Fifth Scape Bi- Cur e Mos B a n e glish the Venice Biennale,” explains Deniz Ova of ennial of Art in Public Space in Christchurch, Dan : Pla rsenal org/en : A . Theme iksv commissioning body Istanbul Foundation for New Zealand in 2008, co-curated by Erdemci ress www. A dd : Culture and Arts (IKSV). “It is a great honour and Mossman, the three have worked via “e- Website to work with Erkmen; she has made her mail, telephone and Skype discussing almost name on the international Contemporary every aspect of the project and event,” accord- art scene through her boldly influential ing to Erdemci. The Pavilion also has strong art works, of which Plan B will become support from IKSV and is sponsored by Fiat and one.” This is something echoed by cu- held under the patronage of the Turkish Minis- rator Fulya Erdemci: “In previous edi- try of Foreign Affairs with the Promotion Fund tions [of the Turkey Pavilion] mostly of the Turkish Prime Minister. With an advisory young and emerging artists have committee that is chosen every two years, “the been given the floor. I felt it was tradition is that each curator of the Pavilion be- time to re-evaluate the bal- comes one of these committee members for ance between established the next time around,” explains Ova; “This gives and emerging artists in this the possibility for them to share their experi- context.” The choice of one ences and grow with the project.” artist to represent the Space is also an integral part of this year’s Turkish art scene was participation – a marked difference from 2009, Clockwise from top left: Ayşe Erkmen. Image courtesy Emre Erkmen. Fulya Erdemci. Photography by Evert Elzinga. Danae Mossman. All images courtesy Turkish Pavilion. “ when the small Pavilion confounded more than one visitor looking for it in the main Arsenale. Erkmen responded “The Pavilion of Turkey is in the main building of the Arsenale this year,” says Erdemci. “It is a to [the space] situation- beautiful, spacious venue with a window over- specifically and looking the canal and access to the outside promenade – this specific room has visible trac- context-responsibly es of machines and shows that, historically, this with a sculptural was a place of production. We took the quality of the venue literally and Erkmen responded to it situation-specifically and context-responsibly with a sculptural installation.” nal, “a futile, yet courageous gesture against installation. ” big room, which is almost 300 square metres, The work, after which the Pavilion is named, the overwhelming scale of the canal and the I was trying to find a way to make it turn it- is a site-specific project created by Erkmen ocean,” according to Erdemci. While the work self into a machine.” The various components using both its locations as its starting point. is open to interpretation, there are parallels become sculptural, and the pipes that link Known for working in various media, from in- to the flowing of various elements – blood in them as important as the various components stallation and intervention to photography and the human body and ‘capital flowing through themselves. “It is like an exhibition space: animation, Erkmen has built a reputation for borders’, the title itself refers to the ubiquitous one sculpture here, one sculpture there,” ex- using her environment to draw the attention back-up to the failure of a ‘Plan A’ to material- plains Erkmen. “An exhibition maker is always of the viewer to it and heighten our awareness ise, and one which also alludes to the numer- looking at the dialogues between sculptures of the spaces and structures involved. Plan B ous things which can potentially go wrong in – there is a natural dialogue here in this work, is, in essence, a water-purifying system which the planning and realisation of exhibitions and as they have to be together and in a certain will take over the entire space of the Pavilion, installations as large-scale as those shown at order... all these parts of the machine, which with various stations and components con- Venice. “Normally, these water machines are are like beautiful sculptures in the space, have nected by pipes to create one large network of composed of many components that make these pipes in between like a dialogue path. flowing liquid. This process will result in clean up one large machine,” explains Erkmen in an The machines are talking to each other.” BY water which will then be returned to the ca- interview with Mossman. “Thinking of this ANNA WALLACE-THOMPSON 81 united arab emirates Second Time Around The UAE Pavilion’s debut in 2009 performance by the Jackson Pollok Bar. The an- – also marking the first-ever ticipation, then, is to see how Second Time Around participation by a Gulf nation in follows up its inaugural incarnation. the Venice Biennale, saw intense scrutiny from This year sees Vasif Kortun take the helm as audiences and the media alike, intrigued by the curator, with Dr Hamdan returning as commis- presence of a UAE Pavilion alongside its collateral sioner. Selecting three artists from a shortlist of event, the ADACH Platform, and curious to see 30+, Kortun is keen to strip the Pavilion down to what the UAE art scene had produced. Curated by what he sees as the essentials, building on the Tirdad Zolghadr under Commissioner Dr Lamees first Pavilion’s theme. The Istanbul-based writer, Hamdan, It’s Not You It’s Me drew on the format curator and teacher (who was chief curator and of the World Fair, by showing photography by then co-curator of the Third and Ninth Istanbul Left: Reem Al Ghaith. (Detail) Dubai: What’s Left of My Land. 2011. Mixed Lamya Gargash alongside selected pieces by Has- Biennials respectively, along with organising the media. 800 x 800 cm. san Sharif, Tarek Al-Ghoussein (Canvas 1.4), Ebt- 2007 Turkey Pavilion for Venice) travelled around Right: Dr Lamees Hamdan, Abdulla isam AbdulAziz and Huda Saeed Saif alongside the UAE before choosing Reem Al-Ghaith, Lateefa Al-Saadi, Reem Al-Ghaith and Vasif Kortun. March 2011. video conversations of key UAE cultural figures Al-Maktoum and Abdullah Al-Saadi (the latter had All images courtesy UAE Pavilion. and models of the Emirates’ arts buildings and a his work exhibited at the 2009 ADACH Platform). “The UAE Pavilion in 2009 had to deal with many issues related to a rapid, vertical urbanisation in the UAE,” explains Kortun. “Second Time Around refers to the barebones of the exhibition itself by no longer contextualising what have become the absolute clichés of the international reception of the UAE. The Pavilion will pivot around these three artists and the immanence of their works: the exhibition is about the works themselves, it is Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. Night time exterior rendering. ©L’Autre Image Production 2010. Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. Night time exterior rendering. ©L’Autre Image Production 2010. Night time exterior rendering. ©L’Autre Image Production 2010. 82 VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE not ‘curated’ around concepts but rather, around dio). “It is these changes that we document in artistic positions.” our work – Reem with the rapid changes in our For Dr Hamdan, “Venice is about pushing the environment, its construction, and Abdullah re- envelope and I would like to see the UAE go from flects where he lives and works. I feel as though strength to strength. I think the art scene is doing I am in between both of them, bringing in visu- this, so I hope as a Pavilion, we reflect what is hap- als of new development with elements that are pening in the art scene in the UAE.” While working reminiscent of places that were here before and in different media, the artists are united in their which still exist today.” Presenting eight works various explorations of the UAE, a theme which (four new and four older), Al-Maktoum’s photo pervades each of their oeuvres. “We have ‘old montages, alongside Al-Ghaith’s multimedia in- school’ and ‘new school’ Emirati artists converging stallation and Al-Saadi’s series, will each be given on a single topic dealing with the subject of land, a same-sized space within the Pavilion, designed identity and change in extremely unique ways,” by architecture firm SuperPool. “Equal spaces will explains Kortun. One of these is Al-Ghaith’s in- emphasise the continuity within the space as triguing What is Left of My Land installation, a work well as the interaction between the artists,” com- that has grown and metamorphosed over the last ments Kortun. “However, each space is unique couple of years. “It is a unique and complex piece, in its design, thus enhancing the individuality of which shifts with the space that it is presented in,” each artist’s practice.” agrees Al-Ghaith, whose work was first exhibited Representing one’s country at the Venice in 2009’s Emirati Expressions. “It is a documenta- Biennale is no small job, and a lot rests on the tion of the terrain left and the construction that is shoulders of these three artists. “When I found taking place to build this city and progresses with out I had been chosen, I think I froze in front time, always re-visited with every change that of my computer for 10 minutes before react- “ I hope as a Pavilion, we reflect what is happening Art Late ists: R e ” e Abd fa Al-M em Al- in the art scene in the UAE. ulla a Comm h Al ktoum haith, G -Saa and Dr L iss a ione di Cur mees H r: takes place.” The work shows the industrial chang- ing. I was having an ‘is this actually happen- THE ator: amdan es the UAE has seen and is juxtaposed with that of ing?’ moment,” smiles Al-Maktoum. “When I ME Vasi Ad : f dressSecond Kortun Al-Saadi. Where Al-Ghaith tackles the large-scale first heard the news I was overwhelmed with Webs T im ite: : Arsen e Arou changes sweeping the UAE, Al-Saadi explores the responsibility,” agrees Al-Ghaith. “I hope to ww ale nd w.ua unique relationship that food has with society, in present the UAE well on such an international epa vilio n.or nourishing it both alimentally and socially in his platform.” One thing is for sure, the mixture g Naked Sweet Potato series. “We come from the of artists promises to produce an eclectic if countryside,” explains the Khor Fakkan-based art- complimentary fusion of artistic styles and ist. “My father is a farmer and I still live in the same foci, and hopefully this second UAE Pavil- village. The sweet potato is what we used to eat ion will serve to address any questions in winter and so much is linked to it – how we that were left unanswered by the first. feel when we eat it, why we eat it.” Exploring the “Dubai and the UAE have been pre- sweet potato in various media, his works, along sented a lot in the international with those of Al-Ghaith, seem to reflect two very media, the majority of which is different ends of a spectrum. “Reem, Abdullah a general overview of the city,” and myself all comment on the place we come muses Al-Maktoum. “What I from and the changes we observe around us,” would hope is that we three explains Al-Maktoum (also the founder of Tash- artists will be able to show keel, a public studio with facilities for artists and the human perspective of designers and who are also designing visuals people from the UAE.” for the exhibition, through Möbius Design Stu- BY ANNA WALLACE-THOMPSON the future of a promise c hances are, the first Arabic word any foreigner will pick up during a visit to the Middle East is inshallah, mean- ing ‘God willing’. The word has, however, come to denote a loose promise, a sort of general, lax term used freely. It has almost come to mean that whatever has been promised will not actu- ally happen. This is precisely one of the reasons that spurred curator Lina Lazaar’s initial naming of the Venice Biennale’s first and only pan-Arab exhibition, Inshallah: The Future of a Promise. The first word has now been dropped because of its Above: Raafat Ishak. Responses varied connotations. “I was thinking of a word to an immigration request from one hundred and ninety four which would best define the current situation in governments. 2006-09.Oil and Artists: Ziad Abillama, Jananne gesso on MDF.194 panels: 30 the Arab world,” says the former Sotheby’s rep, “in- x 21 cm each. Image courtesy Al-Ani (Canvas 6.6), Ahmed Al- the artist and Sutton Gallery, soudani (Canvas 5.5), Ziad Antar, shallah came up and I wanted to tie it into a sense Australia. Kader Attia (Canvas 3.3), Ayman of accountability in the Arab world.” Lazaar used Left: Driss Ouadahi.(Detail) Baalbaki (Canvas 5.2), Faycal Bagh- inshallah as a starting point, a word from which Fences 1. 2008. Oil on canvas. 170 x 180 cm. Photography riche, Lara Baladi (Canvas 3.3), ideas developed. She chose to drop it and stick by David Stroud. Image Taysir Batniji, Manal Al-Dowayan courtesy the artist and to The Future of a Promise as a more “cohesive” Hosfelt Gallery, USA. (Canvas 2.4), Abdelkader Benc- title. The exhibition, Lazaar’s curatorial debut, was hamma, Mounir Fatmi (Canvas 6.3), Abdelnasser Gharem, Mona initially inspired by a visit to Arabicity, a “phenom- matter what nationality or explains Lazaar, “I wanted to Hatoum (Canvas 6.1), Raafat Ishak, enal” Rose Issa-curated show of Contemporary Diasporic community, the Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Ahmed Mater suggest a projection of our- Arab art in Beirut. “I thought it would be exciting Arab street has suffered (Canvas 7.1), Driss Ouadahi, Ay- selves into the future, a halt to stage a non-competitive, non-nationalistic sort the brunt of baseless man Yossri Daydban, Yazan Khalili of the state of limbo and of show in Venice,” adds Lazaar. The exhibition’s promises on fronts such as and Emily Jacir (Canvas 5.2). an evaluation of whether Curator: Lina Lazaar concept, however, took on a deeper dimension the economic, social and these promises have been Theme: The Future of a Promise as political events began to unfold in Lazaar’s na- political – 21 artists living in Address: Magazzine del Sale fulfilled.” Lazaar approached tive Tunisia, while she was on a visit in December; and away from the region WEBSITE: Edge of Arabia to produce specifically, the day after Mohammad Bu Azizi, a represent nine countries www.thefutureofapromise.com the show, given their partic- frustrated street vendor, set himself on fire – an in this exhibition. While ipation at the 2009 Venice attempted suicide which triggered clashes in the Middle East has been Biennale, and secured the the North African country, eventually leading to plagued by conflict for decades, its people have Abdul Latif Community Initiative and Abraaj Capi- the fall of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. “You become accustomed to promises for reform across tal for patronage and funding. Lazaar found her could sense the tension, which has confined the the board. The general view is that these promises experience as a former auction house rep use- Arab world in a long-lasting state of malaise,” have been empty, hitting on the notion that ‘talk is ful when identifying works for loan from private she says. cheap’ – a point Lazaar plans on making with The collections. However, some pieces have been From the outset, Lazaar intended on reflect- Future of a Promise. “Take for example the Palestini- commissioned specifically for the exhibition, one ing the state of the Contemporary Arab world an situation, an unfulfilled promised right of return, of which is Ayman Baalbaki’s, Kalam Farigh (Non- (and not Tunisia in particular) to highlight that, no which is addressed through Emily Jacir’s Embrace,” sense Talk) – the installation utilises 50 real, aired 84 VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE australia The Golden Thread Australia, which has taken part in the Venice Biennale since 1954, has this year selected Egyptian-born artist Hany Armanious as its representative. Chosen by a panel consisting of Commissioner Doug Hal as well as Professor Ted Snell, Chair of Australia Council’s Visual Arts Board; Dr Chris McAuliffe, Director of the Ian Potter Mu- seum of Art in Melbourne; Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo and Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, the artist will present Hany Armanious The Golden Thread. Funded by The Australia Council for the Arts for the past three decades, the Pavilion made waves in 2009 with Shaun Gladwell’s MADDESTMAXIMVS, a Mad Max-like video work utilising the beautiful landscape of the Australian desert (alongside a group exhibition by four artists). Winner of the 1998 Moet and Chandon Fellowship, he has gained a reputation for his quirky sculptural pieces. Born in Ismaila, Egypt in 1962, Armanious received his Bachelor of Visual Arts at the City Art Institute, Sydney in 1984. The Golden Thread will feature 11 pieces, comprising a combination of new and existing works. “Armanious’s invocation of ancient forms and cultures, his embrace of a nearly alchemical transformation of one material into another and his interest in incorporating the processes of making and displaying works of art into the sculptures them- selves, underscore his desire to locate the mysterious within the mundane” explains Ellegood. “By arguing that objects in our everyday life can carry as much visual pleasure, as much potential for beauty, as those things designed or deemed to be in the domain of aesthetics, his work is an acknowledgement that there is more to this world than meets the eye.” BY ANNA WALLACE-THOMPSON Commissioner: Doug Hal Curator: Anne Ellegood Artist: Hany Armanious Theme: The Golden Thread messages on some Arab news networks’ tickers, Address: Giardini di Castello which in contrast to transmission by Western net- Website: www.venicebiennale. works of more serious or breaking news, publish australiacouncil.gov.au affectionate, personal messages – “it ties in with the promise that words are empty on a platform supposedly dedicated to important news”. One of the works on loan by Algerian-born Kader Attia tackles the issue of freedom of expression; anoth- er, Flying Carpets, by one of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2011 winners, Tunisian Nadia Kaabe-Linke, addresses promises of a hopeful future made to illegal immigrants in Europe. Meanwhile, Iraqi Ahmed Alsoudani explores physical and con- ceptual mutilation of bodies in war. “Iraq was the promised model for democracy by the USA fol- lowing its invasion in 2003,” adds Lazaar;“But we’re Hany Armanious. True Romance. 2010. in 2011 and that means we need to look to the Pigmented polyurethane resin, pewter. 125 x 155 x 63 cm. Image by Greg Weight, courtesy the promises made in this historical year and define a Australia Council for the Arts. © Hany Armanious better future.” BY MYRNA AYAD 85 VENICE BIENNALE SPECIAL FEATURE international art exhibition ILLUMInations r unning in parallel with 89 national participa- tions, ILLUMInations, this year’s International art exhibition at the 54th Venice Biennale, serves to underline the complexity of territorial frontiers while staying attuned to a recurrent ar- estate of historical importance.” With 82 participants, six of whom are of Mid- dle Eastern origin, Curiger was keen on “selecting artists whose works I have seen and find good”. Thanks to a broad title that can be interpreted tistic concept – the perception of light. Artistic both literally and non-literally, the main exhibi- Director Bice Curiger’s thematic choice was in- tion also allows significant leeway for creative spired by Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Everything exploration. “I chose to develop a project that Is Illuminated, which centres on a young Jewish I showed at the Museu d’Art Contemporani de American who travels to the Ukraine in the hope Barcelona last year, featuring an assemblage of of finding the woman who saved his grandfa- flagpoles displayed chaotically,” says participat- ther’s life under Nazi occupation. “The book was ing Moroccan artist Latifa Echakhch (Canvas 6.3). on my night table and it came to mind because “Entitled Fantasia, the work alludes to paradoxi- of the union between, on the one hand, the topic cal notions of harmony, discord, disorder and Facing page: An exhibition view of light, a classic theme in artistic research, and balance.” Through this installation, the Paris- from the show La Ronda at the on the other, the idea of national boundaries,” based artist tackles topics pertaining to national Capella, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona in 2010 with a work by explains Curiger. The show is located at its long- and cultural identity. Latifa Echakhch. Fantasia. 2010. Fibreglass flag poles and steel bases. standing premises, between the Giardini and Algerian-born French artist Mohammed Variable dimensions. Photography by Rafael Vargas. Image copyright Arsenale. “The Giardini has been the site of all Bourouissa construes the exhibition title as a the artist and courtesy the artist, Biennale exhibitions since the very first in 1895,” “means to transcend the visible aspect of things”. kaufmann-repetto, Milan and kamel mennour, Paris. says Curiger, “and the Arsenale is a complex urban While he was still considering what exact piece syria* iran* Artists: Sabhan Adam (Canvas 1.2), Bernard Aubertin, Talal Al- Artists: Morteza Darebaghi, Mohammad Mehdi Qanbeigi, Abdoullah, Nemat Badaoy, Beppe Bonetti, Ivan Lardscheneider, Mohsen Rastani. Renato Mambor, Piero Mottola, Salvo Pastorello, Nizar Sabour, Commissioner: Mahmood Shalooei. Rima Salamoun, Slis (Pierluigi Slis). Venue: Palazzo Malipiero, San Marco 3198. Commissioner: Christian Maretti. Curators: Fabio Anselmi, Sandro Orlandi. Venue: Isola di San Servolo, Caserma Cornold. *At the time of press, no further information was available 86 to showcase at the Biennale, at the time of press, during the course of the game. a forest, and is “cryptic, poetic and conceptual. it was between two video works, both of which Iranian artist Navid Nuur, whose showcased It is about position, force and orientation.” Mid- “focus on tensions and invisible orders. Temps works were not created exclusively for the Bien- dle Eastern representation can also be seen in Mort is a film that centres on the relationship be- nale, “are about research and some have never the works of Moroccan Yto Barrada, Irania Nairy tween a prisoner and someone outside, chroni- been exposed, so I saved them for the right mo- Baghramian and Algerian Philippe Parreno. cling their telephonic exchange and rapport ment and the Biennale was the perfect match!” Featuring artworks that rarely stray from during nine months. It is a very simple, tragic His paintings, The Eyecodex of the Monochrome, the show’s title on both a conceptual and lit- film about the human condition and two peo- reflects a study on the visual perception of col- eral level, ILLUMInations reveals disparate artistic ple in different situations,” he explains. The other ours and compositions. “Through my research, I approaches to a particular theme, prompting piece entitled Boloss, was filmed to resemble found that there is this emotional reaction that audiences to ponder the multitude of possible surveillance footage during a game of poker occurs when you look at monochromes. It has meanings for each piece. After all, as Echakhch and features interviews with the players. The to do with both eye coordination and distance,” explains, “the fantastic thing about art is that the work sheds light on the psyche of the competi- he explains. His other light installation, Hivewise, viewer is free to take away whatever he or she tors and demonstrates their diverse strategies comprises a lightbox, tent and photograph of wants from it.” BY TALA CHUKRI collateral events: At the time of press, former curator of the now-cancelled Lebanese Pavilion, Georges Rabbath, was planning on presenting a “performative displacement” at the Venice Biennale. The Arab States of Mind, taken from the original Pavilion’s title, plans to bring artists to Venice for a series of interventions and artist performances. also participating: Other participating Middle Eastern artists include Iranian-born Tala Madani (page 112) at the Dutch Pavilion. 87 The 54th Venice Biennale 4 June– 27 November www.labiennale.org
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