All the World’s Futures: The 56th Exhibition of the Venice Biennale

The countdown to the 56th edition of the Venice Biennale, which will mark 120 years since its creation, begins. Since its origin, the most well-known italian exposition in the world has contributed to the strengthening of our place in the evolution of the concept of contemporary art, through dance, theatre, film, music, and visual arts.

 From left President Paolo Baratta and Curator O. Enwezor

 

 People during the press conference

During the press conference held on Thursday March 12 at the Italian Cultural Institute, Paolo Baratta and curator Okwui Enwezor introduced All the World’s Futures, bringing up the question “of the relationship between art and the development of human, social, and political realities in the world”. The goal is to analyze the global world “Even the areas we consider marginal” Baratta explains “stimulating the artists’ sensibilities and their vital and expressive energies”.
 

Obviously present in the front row of the conference room, Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the New Museum of New York and director of the visual arts sector of the last edition of the Venice Biennale.

“Bice Curiger, swiss editorial curator, art critic and artistic director, Massimiliano Gioni, and Okwui Enwezor: almost a trilogy, three chapters of a research on the Venice Biennale, useful reference points for the formulation of aesthetic judgements on contemporary art, a critical issue since the end of the avantgarde and of anti-art” continues Paolo Baratta.

The President of the Venice Biennale, passes the microphone to the curator Okwui Enwezor, who introduces the artistic project to the public starting from the Arena. “An active space in the Central Pavilion of the Giardini, dedicated to a continuous interdisciplinary program”. The main attraction of this program will be the live reading of the three volumes of Das Kapital by Karl Marx.

It’s in fact by no coincidence that this place was called Arena: envisioned by the architect David Adjaye, this space will be dedicated to public discussions, film projections, and “spoken words”.

A lot of attention was also given to “a review of historical perspectives made by artists both living and not.” Enwezor explains. “These reviews, organized in the form of small anthologies, span from a series of neon texts - made by Bruce Nauman between 1972 and the start of the ‘80s - to an atlas of filmography by Harun Farocki, including a total of 87 films. The Art Biennale will also showcase the works of some magistral figures, amongst them photographer Walker Evans, filmmaker Sergej Ejzenstejn, multimedia artist Chris Marker, installation artist Is Genzken, sculptor-composer Terry Adkins, author-director Alexander Kluge, installation artist Hans Haacke, conceptual artist Teresa Burga, performance artist Fabio Mauri, and many others”.

His introductory speech for the cultural program was supported by a presentation featuring images of many of the above mentioned artists, thus attracting the public’s attention.

Amongst the major sponsors: main sponsor ENEL, Japan Tobacco International, Vela-Venezia Unica, illycaffè, and VEDE-Venice Excellence Design. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Adecco, and Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane were also thanked.

As a partner of the 56th edition of the Biennale, Swatch called “artists from the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai to Venice live art at the Arsenale”. These selected artists will be hosted and will be seen working “live” as guests of Swatch at Tesa 100, a historic address in the Arsenale Nord.

And in fact, after having first stopped in London and New York, Shanghai is where Paolo Baratta and Okwui Enwezor to present the Venice Biennale.