53. venice biennale The Venice Biennale opened with works by over 90 artists from 77 participating nations and over 44 collateral events, marking the 53rd anniversary of the world’s oldest biennale. TexT by AnnA WAllAce-Thompson, myrnA AyAd And JAmes pArry. ImAges by myrnA AyAd And courTesy of The VenIce bIennAle. THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF VENICE 2009 TAKES TO THE STAGE Dubbed the “Art Olympics”, the 2009 Venice Biennale opened its doors to the public on 7 June. This extraordinary celebration of Contemporary art showcases works by more than 90 artists from around the world, with a record number of events and participating nations. V enice, La Serenissima , is used to welcoming visitors – as many as 20,000 per day in an average summer season – but this year more are expected to make their way to this most sublime of cities as it presents its 53rd Biennale. Arguably the most ambitious event of its type to date, the Biennale’s themed exhibition, Fare Mondi or Making Worlds (page XX), underlines the organisers’ desire to present both art as a broker and leveller between peoples and Venice as a hub of creativity. Biennale director Daniel Birnbaum outlined his particular vision for the event: “I wanted to emphasise the process of creation. A work of art represents a vision of the world and, if taken seriously, can be seen as way of making a world. It is about possible beginnings – this is what I would like to share with the visitors to the Biennale.” The youngest director in the event’s history, Birnbaum’s track record as a curator and his affinity with artists were cited by the Biennale’s president, Paolo Baratta, as the main reasons for his appointment. “We feel him to be on the side of the artists,” Baratta explained. Meanwhile, after some adverse criticism at the last Venice biennale about the standard of facilities and exhibition spaces, the event organisers have taken impressive steps to ensure that this year’s event moves the game on to a new level. In particular, the acquisition and restoration of the monumental Arsenale, part of the historic complex in which one of the world’s greatest-ever naval fleets was assembled, has provided vast, new and exciting spaces. Meanwhile, the Giardini area, the site of the oldest national pavilions, has been reconfigured and greatly improved. This year sees a record-breaking total of 77 participating nations and 44 collateral events at the Biennale, held at the Arsenale, Giardini and other sites scattered across the city, and running until 22 November. Eagerly awaited, as ever, was the announcement on 6 June of the winners of the prestigious Golden Lion awards, more usually known as the ‘Oscars’ of the Biennale. Two lifetime awards were made, one to Yoko Ono and the other to John Baldessari, whilst the much-coveted Golden Lion for Best National Participation went to the United States, for Bruce Nauman’s spectacular suite of conceptual art, Topological Gardens . Shown at three sites across the city, this exhibit encapsulates four decades of this inspirational artist’s iconic work. Whilst the smart money had been on Nauman/the USA taking the main prize, the popular vote ‘on the street’ went to The Collectors , a highly imaginative exhibit which involved making high-concept homes out of the two pavilions for Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway, and which duly got a special mention from the international awards jury for curators Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. The Golden Lion for Best Artist went to Tobias Rehberger for Was du liebst, bringt dich auch zum Weinen , his extraordinary achievement which has turned the Palazzo delle Esposizioni’s formerly humdrum cafeteria into an exciting and innovative space. Best Promising Artist went to Nathalie Djurberg for Experimentet , her highly original take on the Garden of Eden, complete with six-foot-tall poppies and Claymation videos of naked people being dismembered by mud and their own flailing limbs. A reminder, perhaps, of both Venice’s precarious position on the water and of the frenzied activity that goes into this most spectacular of art events. Facing page: The main entrance to the 53rd Venice Biennale at the Giardini. Top to bottom: Lithuanian Pavilion. Ž ilvinas Kempinas. Tube. 2008/2009. Magnetic tape, plywood, steel. Dimensions variable. Installation view at Atelier Carder, Sachè, France. Courtesy: the artist. An installation on the grounds of the Giardini. The entrance to the USA Pavilion at the Giardini, with work by Bruce Nauman. venice biennale 53. 59 the uae I n the excitement surrounding the UAE’s first participation at the Venice Biennale, major misunderstandings emerged over aspects of the nation’s presence, so let us help set the record straight: 1. The UAE has a pavilion and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has a platform or collateral show – to correct what has been reported in the media. “Pavilions are part of the Biennale programme; collateral events are organised outside of this programme but have the blessings of the Biennale,” says Savita Apte, Biennale co-curator. “Pavilions show cutting-edge art from the country; normally a curator is appointed by the arts council of that country along with government sanction.” She continues, “collateral shows do not necessarily have anything to do with a particular country; they are of a good enough standard in their own right.” And herein lies a point of confusion: ADACH is a government body. But so what? 2. The burning question was: why did the UAE double-represent itself? A leading UK-based art authority, historian and curator who chose to remain anonymous, noted, “I don’t know if there were any benefits gained from the UAE double-representing itself. If it’s internal politics or power play, then it’s a shame to display it openly.” Yet, one might ask: why look at this UAE double-represention as a half-empty glass? Surely this could be a case of the more, the merrier? 3. The Pavilion and Platform overlapped with works by Hassan Sharif and Ebtisam Abdul Aziz. Again, so what? Granted, the Pavilion had to borrow Sharif’s work from the Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar Foundation and Qatar Museums Authority. Perhaps this simply underlines the strength of regional cooperation as far as the arts are concerned. 4. Yes, the featured artist at the Pavilion, 27-year-old Lamya Gargash, is a relative of the Pavilion’s Commissioner, Dr Lamees Hamdan Gargash. But Lamya admits that during the preliminary organisational stages, “I didn’t know Lamees was the Commissioner.” In any case, Lamya Gargash happens to be one of the UAE’s foremost artists, and has every reason to justify her presence. 5. Both the Platform and Pavilion featured non-Emirati artists – Tarek Al- Ghoussein is Palestinian/Kuwaiti (Pavilion); Ahmed Mater and Sami Al- Turki are Saudis (Platform). In the same vein, British Liam Gillick showed at the German Pavilion and Italian Turi Simeti showed at the Syrian Pavilion. “There is a very long traditional mixing of culture in the region and there are different ways of inhabiting a city,” noted ADACH Platform curator, Catherine David. The UAE is a melting pot of various cultures and so it is not surprising that through this multinational representation, it is able to promote itself as a culturally diverse and cosmopolitan nation. 6. Yes, three of the five artists at the Pavilion are represented by the Dubai-based gallery, The Third Line (TTL) - Gargash, Al-Ghoussein and Abdul Aziz. A bit too cozy, perhaps? “He [Tirdad Zolghadr, Pavilion curator] was given free rein; he chose whom he wanted and no one interfered in the choices he was making,” said the Pavilion’s communications director, Eliza Ilyas. “TTL happen to have some pretty good artists,” she added. “A group of artists in Abu Dhabi asked me why her [Gargash] and not us,” added Zolghadr, “but what they fail to understand is that pavilions have [only] one or two artists.” Refreshing to see were the masses of Pavilion representatives – a rumoured 60 – who greeted visitors to the Pavilion, entitled, It’s Not You, It’s Me . “You really mean to say it’s you,” smiles Zolghadr, “it complements Daniel Birnbaum’s Making Worlds .” The Pavilion featured maquettes of the UAE’s various cultural projects, centred between Al-Ghoussein and Abdul Aziz’s works. On the other side, a blank “soothing white wall,” says Zolghadr, was placed “for people who just want to chill.” Be that as it may, some visitors found this an odd space, used more as a corridor than anything else. Hung in a double layer across three walls are Gargash’s Familial series that document Dubai’s one-star hotels – “this is a part of my country that I don’t know,” she says. “One-star hotels are like the art world,” adds Zolghadr, “what is ‘one-star’, who gets them and why?” Gargash hopes she has changed perceptions and is confident that through the Pavilion “we have proven to be credible.” By answering Western journalists with: “I never thought about it until you asked me!” Gargash rises above stereotypes of gender and taboo. Incidentally, David’s intentions involved “deconstructing a number of clichés in the region.” This came through her selection of artists – “none of whose work is interested in luxury,” she added, “these artists are into complex materiality.” David’s curatorial project was rooted in an “honest approach” projected by “going deeper into the region.” The Platform entrance featured huge images of Abu Dhabi’s history and future construction projects, which some, said David, “considered propaganda,” when in fact, she believes, “it’s a promise for a wonderful life and we wanted to articulate this promise.” The Platform sought to survey the Contemporary visual arts scene from the perspective of the Abu Dhabi, the UAE and beyond. Whatever the whys and wherefores, the UAE is now well and truly on the global art map. Participation at the Biennale has furthered awareness on the young nation’s wide range of art initiatives and has firmly nailed the UAE’s colours to the mast of culture. The two ‘Ps’ have certainly generated much debate and discussion. Suffice to say, it’s not you, it’s all about them. The UAE Pavilion and the ADACH Platform at the 53rd Venice Biennale. Why look at this UAE double- represention as a half-empty glass? Two ‘Ps’ IN A NATIoN Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage Platform curator, Catherine David. . New Kids T here is never a better time to present something different and thought-provoking than at a biennale, and particularly when more national participants are involved. This year sees five countries at the biennale for the first time, and they are a decidedly eclectic bunch. Drawn from a wide geographical span – two from Europe, two from Africa and one from the Middle East – they also present an inspiring range of media, concepts and approaches. By far the largest presence among the newcomers, both in terms of budget and sheer floor space, is the United Arab Emirates Pavilion in the Arsenale (see page xx). However, small can also be beautiful, and the pavilions and presentations offered by Gabon, Montenegro, the Principality of Monaco and the Union of Comoros work hard to punch above their weight. They certainly have things to say, directly and succinctly. Gabon is one of Africa’s emerging states, fuelled by lucrative oil revenues and an increasingly outward-looking policy by its recently deceased president, Omar Bongo. The country’s expanding art scene mirrors this wider development, and is represented in Venice by Owanto, aka Yvette Berger, and her insightful work, The Lighthouse of Memory . Her gritty photographs, featuring scrap elements and degraded landscapes, explore the physical and emotional gulf between the traditional lifestyles and rurality of ‘old’ Africa and the brash urban – and Westernised – Utopia towards which much of modern Africa is resolutely marching. Especially striking is Tree House, an installation in which a replica of a traditional Gabonese hut is shown variously as just that, but also as a Western playhouse and as an atelier. If the point of a biennale is to examine different worlds and explore their interaction, then this piece steps right up to the mark. A most unusual yet articulate work on show is undoubtedly that presented by another first-timer, the Union of Comoros. Djahazi by Paolo W Tamburella is inspired by the traditional boats that once plied the Indian Ocean and connected these remote islands with their trading partners and the outside world. Now superseded by vast, foreign-owned container vessels, the boats are redundant and mostly left rotting in the harbour. Tamburella and his team took one, restored it, then dismantled it and freighted it to Europe in a modern container. They then reassembled it, and in a neat twist, sailed it to the Biennale site and loaded it with the container. A metaphor for an ambivalent yet all-consuming globality and its impact on local heritage and identity, Djahazi sings loud and proud on the waterfront of the Giardini. The two European first-timers, Monaco and Montenegro, enjoy pavilions housed in Renaissance palazzi in the heart of old Venice. Numerous environmental concerns loom large for Monagasque artist Philippe Pastor, whose vast and compelling painted wooden panels and installation of burnt tree trunks are powerful and expressive. His concerns over global warming, pollution and man’s chaotic negligence of the planet are related with great flair and skill in Le Ciel Regarde la Terre Meanwhile, celebrated Montenegrin artist Dado has assembled an extraordinary collection of bronze sculptures, which he has named the “Zorzi Elegies” after the magnificent palazzo in which they will be shown for the duration of the Biennale. These works, some 20 in all, and shown alongside a series of paintings on wood, juxtapose unlikely and surprising elements, including a saint’s head with a tree trunk and a warped saucepan. Food for thought, indeed, and proof that innovative and challenging art is more to do with imagination, instinct and energy than anything else. NEw KIDS oN THE BLoCK MAKE THEIR MOVE The Biennale’s newest participants cut to the chase as they strive to make their mark with the big boys in Venice. Innovative and challenging art is more to do with imagination, instinct and energy than anything else. Above: Gabon Pavilion. owanto. where Are we Going? 2007. Photoshop image. 100 × 80 cm. Courtesy: the artist. Below: Comorros Islands. Paolo w Tamburella. Djahazi. 2009. venice biennale 53. 61 the m TuRKEy: Short but Sweet Small but dynamic, the Turkish Pavilion was tucked away on a corner inside a portable cabin at the Arsenale. In fact, many visitors mistook American artist Pae White’s bird- feeder chandelier installation next door to be the Turkish offering for this year’s Biennale. However, it would be hard not to say that the Turkish Pavilion was one of the best curated, tightly organised and thought-provoking of the Middle Eastern offerings on show. A dual show by artists Ahmet Ogut and Banu Cennetoglu, two installations of very different natures drew in crowds of visitors, both not only welcoming, but inviting, audience interaction in different ways. Entitled Lapses , the exhibition explored different historical narratives and the ‘lapses’ in collective human memory. One wall of the small space was taken over by a desk and Cennetoglu’s photographs ( CATALOG 2009 ), while the remainder of the space housed miniature models by Ogut, of buildings that have been the subjects of bombings ( Exploded City ). “The curator [Basak Senova] came up with this concept of time lapse,” said Ogut, “and it turned out to be the idea for this work as well.” Doing long-term research on buildings that have been bombed, explained the artist, “these buildings are not famous – such as the Twin Towers – but are known internationally only as the venues of important accidents, rather than being famous for themselves: we know them solely as the subjects of bombings.” Enthused by the reaction to his first-time participation in the Biennale, concluded Ogut, “The reaction of the average visitor has been really good. I want to reach out to people through these places and create an emotional connection.” Added Cennetoglu, “This didn’t really have much to do with representing Turkey, per se , as exhibiting what I like to do. The artwork I created is a catalogue in itself, and in that sense, viewers can take what they want from it – I even have an image bank they can access.” SyRIA: Lost in Space The Syrian Arab Republic, alongside the Republic of Armenia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and three other exhibitions, was housed in the breathtaking Palazzo Zenobio. The entire arrangement, however, was confusing – one pavilion seemed to overlap another, and the sheer size of the walls, with their stunning frescoes, caused two major problems. Firstly, there was very limited space in which artworks could actually be hung and secondly, mono-colour abstract paintings in particular were simply dwarfed by the large scale and detail of the historical artworks around them. Finally, the list of artists for the Syrian pavilion was bizarre to say the least, with only two Middle Eastern names – Issam Darwich and Yasser Hammoud – amongst a list of Italian and even Finnish names. A beautiful venue but organisationally lacking, there was very little information available, and one left somehow feeling that one had missed something vital, despite retracing steps several times. IRAN: Spatial Concerns Located in the Palazzo Malipiero, Iran – along with Estonia and Cyrprus – had a fairly small space, a serious hurdle to overcome when curating a national pavilion. In this sense, the three artists represented – Hamid Reza Avishi, Iraj Eskandari and Sedaghat Jabbari – suffered from the lack of exhibition space, ironically the very opposite problem to that of the Syrian Pavilion. Sculptures by Avishi were stifled by the close proximity of the walls, while the otherwise striking mixed- media works of Eskandari, and also those by Jabbari, were hampered by the low ceiling, sinking into the walls rather than standing MIDDLE EASTERN PAVILIONS With a few notable exceptions, the Middle East failed to deliver the goods. While some rose above it, others seemed hindered by time and space. Egyptian Pavilion. Ahmed Askalany. Those who Pray. 2009. Iron and palm leaves. 300 × 80 × 60 cm each figure. Turkish Pavilion. Ahmet ogut. Exploded City. 2009. Installation detail. Photo: Can Kungor, Courtesy: the artist. out. Perhaps it was simply the difficulty of the space, but, with so many Contemporary Iranian artists now recognised on an international level, the Iranian Pavilion seemed strangely muted. Indeed, one must ask why three, not one, artists, were chosen, considering the constraints of space. Cyprus, just up the stairs, for example, managed to use large-scale sculpture in the form of a palm tree to its advantage, creating an interactive environment which is much more welcoming. All was not bleak for Iranian art, however, as seen in the East-West Divan exhibition (see page XX). MOROccO: A Country of Crossroads Situated on the waterfront of the Grand Canal in Chiesa Santa Maria della Pieta church, the Moroccan Pavilion lacked a sense of cohesion. Represented by two artists, Fathiya Tahiri and Mahi Binebine, and curated by Paolo de Grandis, the artworks seemed oddly out of place among the church relics and ornamentation around them. Admittedly, the space given to the Pavilion was a hard one to work with – dark and intricately decorated in the style of Catholic churches – and it is challenging to think of what kind of works would have made the space ‘pop’, so to speak. However, it was innovative and brave for a predominantly Muslim country to have a pavilion inside a church. The idea behind the exhibition was, however, ambitious, stating that Morocco is “a crossroads of cultures and ideas... a moderate form of Islam, in which the logic of reason and the light of faith coexist.” Furthermore, while the concept behind the exhibition intended for both artists to examine man and nature through their art, united in theme, Binebine, for example, did not see the space before exhibiting, relying on photographs and the dimensions of the exhibiting space; “I have brought work that represents the best that I am capable of. These works capture all that I have learnt in 25 years of artistic oeuvre, and are inspired by the human condition. They have been created to interact with the church, as spiritual totems.” Both artists worked independently to each other (perhaps to their detriment, as demonstrated by the cohesive teamwork in the Egyptian Pavilion, and the resulting coherent use of space), but what did bring them together was a pride of nation and wish to bring the art of Morocco to the fore. “People are surprised by these works because they don’t really know about the vibrant arts scene in Morocco,” said Binebine. “In this sense, I don’t want my works to have a ‘message’: each viewer can feel what they want to feel.” EGyPT: oh so welcoming Egypt has had a long history with the Biennale, which began with its first pavilion in 1897. In 1956, the Biennale awarded its Honorary Prize to renowned Egyptian artist Gazbia Sirry, and for its 53rd edition, the North African nation did nothing short of amaze and astound. Huge impact was made with the regal entry into its Pavilion which featured the bowing raffia figures of Ahmed Askalany, who, along with Adel El-Siwi, make up the team of the two showcased artists. The Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny chose El-Siwi, who, in turn, chose Askalany. “We don’t have the means to go to the moon,” laughed Askalany, “but we can excel in simple things.” The distinct faces of El-Siwi, in massive form, translated his examination of the human face – an orientation he has long held, along with his political beliefs. One work by the medical doctor-cum-artist, entitled Andy Warhol in Egypt , featured the Pop artist sitting on a chair against a human figure adorned with Arabic script. The dramatic presence of Askalany’s figures evoked a true Egyptian-ness; his ‘people’ rode bicycles, carried trays of foodstuffs on their heads and sat in corners in the way old Egyptian men do, smoking the traditional hookah. But perhaps the most extraordinary of his ‘people’ were The Lovers , surrounded by 16 raffia cats with upturned tails. “No other material can support the emotion I want to provoke,” says Akalany of the raffia that diffused an authentic aroma within the Pavilion, “I wanted to break away from ‘usual’ sculpture and managed to infuse a soulful, emotional effect.” Aptly titled, the Lightly Monumental , the Pavilion was brilliantly epic. venice biennale 53. 63 Iranian Pavilion. Sedaghat Jabbari. Melody of Rain. 2005. oil on canvas. 150 × 300 cm. The Moroccan Pavilion at the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pieta. The Syrian Pavilion at the Palazzo Zenobio. collat show Glass Stress FRAGILE BUT UNBREAKABLE O ne would be forgiven for being cynical upon entering the much-hyped Glass Stress at the Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti. With so many exhibitions suffering from the ornate Venetian décor of the palazzo in which they have been installed, it was a pleasant surprise, then, to discover that the sheer quirkiness and mo- dernity of the pieces in Glass Stress meant they held their own against their environment – and with aplomb, at that. With Middle East represen- tation in the form of Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum’s ubiquitous Nature Morte Aux Grenades , the collective exhibition brought together weird and wonderful works from a host of international artists, including fellow Mid- dle Easterner, Marya Kazoun, whose Frosty Grounds, The Beginning was a mountain of white tissue-papery surfaces with clear, bubble-like glass baubles. Pieces such as Robert Rauschenberg’s Untitled (Glass Tires) and Silvano Rubino’s stunning Addizione Sottrattiva – a glass dining table in which the plates and cutlery had been cut out – stood out for their clar- ity amongst the surroundings, while others, such as Cesar’s Compression – a solid cube of squashed Coca Cola bottles – and Luca Pancrazzi’s Scala – a ladder covered in glass shards – held their own for their sheer innovation. A touch of quirkiness in the form of Koen Vanmechelen’s hy- brid rooster, The Accident , and Hye Rim Lee’s mesmerising and original Crystal City Spin video installation made Glass Stress one of the hottest shows of the Biennale. Edge of Arabia CONTEMPORARY SAUDI ARTISTS S ome shows sit just perfectly in their venue, and at Venice this is indisputably the case with the groundbreaking Edge of Ara- bia. The first-ever exhibition dedicated to Contemporary art from Saudi Arabia, this intelligent and revealing show occupies its venue as if it were designed expressly for the space. These works – by Interior Landscape MONA HATOUM P art of an ongoing series of projects entitled Preserving the Future , this intriguing exhibition focuses on the relationship between historic and Contemporary art. Hatoum’s pieces – ranging from a necklace made from human hair through oil-stained takeway food trays to more ‘traditional’ expressions such as an old Bukhara rug etched with a map of the world – are displayed within an historic palace already replete with a dazzling array of Renaissance and Baroque treas- ures. Interventions in this outstanding museum collection, these eclectic pieces nevertheless find their voice. Their often small and detailed scale is a change from the more monumental pieces we have come to expect from Hatoum in recent years, but Cube , a cage of grids and gratings located in the palazzo’s main entrance, is a reminder of this artist’s unerr- ing propensity for the epic. some of Saudi Arabia’s top artists, both established and up and com- ing – were shown to great acclaim in London last year (see Canvas xxx). Particularly worth seeing are Ayman Yossri Daydban’s tissue boxes deco- rated with Arabic film posters and Ahmed Mater Al-Ziad Aseeri’s intriguing illuminated X-rays, while one cannot fail to be engaged by Faisal Samra’s exciting photographic triptych, Distorted Reality . A superb window on one of the Contemporary art scene’s most rapidly emerging nations. The entrance to the Edge of Arabia exhibition. Marya Kazoun. Habitat: where He Came From. 2009. Mona Hatoum. Conversation Piece. 2009. wire, glass beads. Dimensions variable. venice biennale 53. Palestine c/o Venice COLLECTIvE SOUL W ords like ‘fused’ and ‘united’ best describe Pales- tine’s first participation at the Venice Biennale. In the spirit of cultural celebration, six art institutions in Jerusalem and the West Bank showed dupli- cates of the artworks at the Palestine c/o Venice collateral event. The brainchild of curator Salwa Mikdadi, the show was conceived about three years ago, “with Venice in mind,” says Mikdadi. After spending time with artists and living in Jerusalem, Mikdadi did what she had been trained to do: research, “which is what my selection of artists is always based on,” she says. The six ‘chosen ones’ – a combina- tion of up-and-coming as well as established artists – were selected based on their work being “creative, free and independent.” The work also had to remedy the Arab stereotype and “be meaningful.” And indeed, meaningful they were. Hitting on the hard irony of the political situation, Khalil Rabah’s work included 50 postcard holders with postcards of 50 Palestinian towns; Taysir Batniji’s Date Video , two TVs on cement blocks, featured an ongoing ticker that marked the days since he has been unable to return home after the clos- ing of the borders; and his dreamy installation, Hannoun, featured red pencil shavings on the floor, mimicking what could have been a poppy field. Emily Jacir’s work was left unrealised despite the City of Venice’s approval for her public installation project, Stazione . Along the Line 1 vaporetti stops, Jacir wanted to place the names of each vaporetti station in Arabic alongside their Italian counterparts. In do- ing so, she would reconnect the shared heritage between Venice and the Arab world – a reminder of the city’s diverse cultural his- tory, but also a peek into potential dialogues. “It is important to look at Palestinian artists as individual artists and not burden them with politics, identity and gender issues,” added Mikdadi, “let them be who they are and give them space. There is a lot of pressure on artists already.” At the show’s jam-packed opening, random rounds of applause followed Mikdadi as she scurried around. “I am in deep admiration of you,” said a young teary-eyed curator to Mikdadi. “This is what it is all about,” says Mikdadi, “sharing. I love to support young curators.” Abuzz with positivity, this is precisely what the collateral event was all about: togetherness. East-west Divan: Contemporary Art from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan DID YOU COME HERE TO FIND HISTORY?* L ike halos, three chandeliers by Pakistani Shezad Dawood that spelt out La Ilaha Illa Allah – There is no God but Allah – hung along the staircase that led to Turquoise Mountain’s East-West show. The neon reflections of the pink, blue and white chandeliers along with the lengthy ascent, com- pounded the sense of anticipation surrounding this exhibition. Inclu- sive of the majestic high-ceilinged space is a maze of red-coloured ‘container’-like panels on which the majority of artworks hung. Fabu- lous pieces, like the mirror-mosaic works of Iranian Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian and fellow Iranian Khosrow Hassanzadeh’s large- scale works were on show. Of the 10 participating artists, three are Iranian, four are Pakistanis and three are Afghan. East-West , curated by Jemima Montagu, Director of Culture and Her- itage at Turquoise Mountain, is the descendant of Living Traditions – an exhibition put together by Montagu and aimed at “bringing an international standard exhibition to Kabul,” where she is based. After Kabul in October 2008, the show travelled to Islamabad in February 2009 and East-West was a “reconfiguration.” Eight of the 10 partici- pating artists – with an age group that ranges from 25 to 85 – were present at the show’s opening, Montagu believing that, “they are as important as the show itself.” Fresh mint leaves in tea and Persian pistachios and traditional sweets were among the F&B offered at the show, which blended modernism and abstraction through the artists’ takes on existing regional traditions. Laudable as East-West is, for its promotion of fantastic regional art in a notable biennale and for its selection of artworks that featured underlying themes, perhaps the internal scaffolding and what seemed to be a honeycomb container, dampened the visibility of some stunning works of art. *Title of artwork by participating Pakistani artist, Nusra Latif Querishi. 65 Taysir Batniji. Date Video. 2006 – ongoing. Two TVs on cement blocks. Shezad Dawood. Triple Negation Chandelier. 2008. Neon lights, aluminium. 130 × 230 cm. Courtesy: Riccardo Crespi Gallery, Milan. pinault O ne of the biggest events at this year’s Biennale was the official opening of the newly restored Punta Della Dogana, the home of François Pinault’s art collection and venue for the inaugural Mapping the Studio exhibition. As Pinault explained, the purpose of the exhibition is “to explore the individual course followed by a collector for whom the acquisition of works of art has meant becoming closely associated with the creative process of the individual artists themselves.” Held concurrently at Punta Della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi, both venues have been restored by famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando (also the architect behind the Abu Dhabi Maritime Museum on Saadiyat Island). Determined to preserve the integrity of the building, Ando was responsible for stripping away much of the framework that had been put in place by generations of restorers and inhabitants, exposing the brick walls of the old customs house and creating an interior that integrated the original architecture with Ando’s clean, free-flowing new interiors. Visitors entering were greeted with Felix Gonzale-Torres’s striking red-beaded curtains, Untitled (Blood) , before entering a massive space that included a decapitated, taxidermy horse hanging out of a wall (by Maurizio Cattelan) and 100 square resin blocks by Rachel Whiteread. The use of space is well-thought out, from the full-room display taken up by colourful glass domes and tinted resin cityscapes by Mike Kelly’s Kandors Full Set to the glass tanks reminiscent of hellish ant farms, F**king Hell by Jake & Dinos Chapman. The eerie works completely dominate the space they occupy. Other pieces, by names such as Cy Twombly, Jeff Koons and Charles Ray, are characteristic of Pinault’s collection. These are augmented by pieces by Fischli & Weiss (whose Rat and Bear (Mobile) will be a pleasant surprise for those who have seen the two characters at the artists’ contribution to Hans Ulrich Obrist’s Il Tempo Del Postino during Art Basel), Paul McCarthy and Charles Ray (who produced the iconic Boy with Frog seen on all the exhibition collateral). Some installations, such as Cattelan’s life-size white Carrara marble sculptures of bodies – All – draped in cloth were downright chilling, laid out in the large expansive rooms. Down the canal, Palazzo Grassi has just as an impressive array of works for the other half of Mapping the Studio . The building was inaugurated in 2006 with the exhibition Where are we Going? Where Punta Della Dogana is low-rising, triangle-shaped as it is on the tip of Dorsoduro Island, Palazzo Grassi comprises rooms encircling a central space. In this space Ando has created a free-flowing space which allows visitors to move freely from one room to the next, preserving the original architecture of the building by simply covering the carved ceilings in some areas. Due to the giant Untitled (Dancing Nazis) by Piotr Uklanski, a giagantic mural of images of film stars who have played Nazi officers, adorned with a giant disco floor of flashing coloured squares and hip hop music and remixes, the Palazzo has a much ‘younger’ feel than the nearby Dogana. With its 101 Art Ideas You Can Do Yourself littered around the building, from the bathrooms to the restaurant, and throughout the exhibits (some of Canvas’s favourites: Invent a Colour and Name It; Put Googly Eyes on Things, and Sell a Collector the Key to your House) gave it a vibrant feel. Works by artists ranged from Twombly to Bruce Nauman, Errò, Mark Handforth (whose Platz sculpture could be seen on display outside Art Basel) and Adel Abdessemed’s Pluie Noire , including the controversial Bear and Rabbit on a Rock by McCarthy. Overall, Mapping the Studio (named after a video installation by Nauman) is a large-scale dual-venue exhibition that succeeds in showing both the scope of Pinault’s collection, and the architectural prowess of Ando. Impressively curated and well-thought out, whatever the critics might say, this is a must-see event and one that deserves to be lauded. As Pinault said, “from Adel Abdessemed to Huang Yong Ping, one can see artists of very different cultural roots striving to express the contradictions and complexities of the contemporary world,” and from dancing Nazis to a bear and rat mobile, so they have. MAPPING THE STUDIo AND THEN SoME The François Pinault Foundation wows audiences and critics alike with the opening of Punta Della Dogana and its latest exhibition, Mapping the Studio Piotr Uklanski. Untitled (Dancing Nazis). 2008. BIENNALE: FARE MoNDI Curated by Biennale Director Daniel Birnbam and taking place in both the Giardini and Arsenale, the Biennale’s themed exhibition features works by a staggering 90 artists from all over the world. Worthy of a day all to itself, the maze of rooms made the exhibition feel crowded, taking away from the power of some of the larger works, and making other rooms feel claustrophobic. All in all, at the end of a tour of this leg of the show, one felt overwhelmed and over saturated. Pieces that did manage to stand out amongst the throng was Argentinean-born Tomas Saraceno’s stunning Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, Like Droplets Along the Strands of a Spider’s Web . The installation of black elastic ropes filled an entire room, with visitors picking their way across the ropes to reach other side. Other highlights included Silver Lion Award-winner (for ‘Promising Young Artist’) Nathalie Djurberg from Sweden, whose Garden of Eden mesmerised viewers, with its clay- mation video and giant flowers, while a room comprised of Richard Wentworth’s trademark hanging books and German- Egyptian artist Susan Hefuna’s drawings seemed underwhelming and crowded. The Giardini did, however, include Tobias Rehberger’s bright orange and black cafeteria, and a well-equipped bookshop – both adding to the richness of culture available as well as to the sense of over- saturation. It must be noted, however, that the second venue for the exhibition, at the Arsenale, allowed the show to breathe, and displayed a much more sequential arrangement, allowing works, such as Brazilian Lygia Pape’s Ttéia I , thin gold thread running from ceiling to floor, lit to resemble light falling on dust in the air. With the Italian Pavilion itself nearby, more than doubled from 800 to 1800 square metres, the show put on by Birnbaum was like the city itself – culturally rich, flamboyant and with a voice that was not only loud and clear, but sonorous, witty and charming. Just make sure you have more than a day to take it all in. AUSTRALIA: MAD MAX While Australia brought five artists this year to represent the country, it was Shaun Gladwell’s MADDESTMAXIMVS that had everybody talking. Visitors approaching the Pavilion were greeted with a black car – a replica of that driven by Mel Gibson’s character in the Mad Max films – as well as a motorbike jutting out of the wall. The origin of both car and motorbike became clear upon entering, as two of Gladwell’s videos were played inside. In Apology to Roadkill , a helmeted, black leather- clad motorcyclist stops, in a series of sequences, to tenderly caress and carry venice biennale 53. dead grey kangaroos that have been killed on the highway. With the intention to “give them the burial they never had,” Gladwell explains, this homage to Australian roadkill is absolutely mesmerising, with a strange, fragile dignity. The other major installation, a two-channel video projected on either side of a suspended screen, Interceptor Surf Sequence is filmed in Gladwell’s trademark slowed-footage video. Driving down an endless Australian red desert highway, a figure ‘surfs’ on the roof of the car – into a clear sky on one side, and a brooding, heavy and grey stormy sky on the other. Awe-inspiring to say the least, the works were notable for their use of the Australian landscape. Gladwell noted that “the works are thematically broad,” concluding that, “the themes extend far beyond their cultural identity.” SCANDINAVIA: MYSTERIoUS MR B The Biennale also saw an unprecedented collaboration between the Danish and Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) Pavilions, co-ordinated by artistic duo Elmgreen & Dragset. Dubbed The Collectors , the innovative set-up saw the Pavilion spaces turned into installations with the feel of a movie set, in which visitors were taken on a ‘real estate tour’. Through this they learnt about the life of the previous tenant, ‘Mr B’, through notes, his art collection, and other pieces of daily life ‘left’ by him in the house and provided and created by 24 international artists and artist groups. Many were initially baffled by the ‘For Sale’ sign posted outside the dark building, but all became clear as groups were taken on tours of the interior. After the tour of the Danish Pavilion was completed, visitors were taken to ‘meet th