Venice Biennale 2024: A Textile Perspective
Jul 16, 2024
This Spring, I had a wonderful opportunity that I have been so excited to tell you about. Whilst doing some travelling, I happened to find myself in the neighbourhood of the Venice Biennale, or La Biennale di Venezia, during the 60th International Art Exhibition - so of course, I had to check it out!
What is the Venice Biennale?
The Venice Biennale, officially known as La Biennale di Venezia, was founded in 1895 and has since become one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Every two years, it transforms the city of Venice, Italy into a vibrant hub of contemporary art, showcasing cutting-edge works from artists across the globe. This was my first time visiting the event, and it was amazing - the exhibition is huge, spanning over 7,000 square meters at the Giardini and Arsenale, and it features artists from over 75 countries. You can imagine what an immersive experience that is!
The theme for this year's International Art Exhibition is Stranieri Ovunque, or "Foreigners Everywhere." This theme delves into the concept of 'foreignness' and how it permeates through our lives, challenging boundaries and embracing diversity.
The Biennale consists of two separate sites: Arsenale, a grand old complex of former shipyards and armories; and Giardini, an area of parkland to the north of the island city. A large curated exhibition that features over 300 artists can be found in the Arsenale, along with a small number of satellite pavilions that are dedicated to participating countries. More pavilions can be found in the Giardini, and scattered throughout the city of Venice, making for delightful unexpected discoveries.
Curated by Adriano Pedrosa of Brazil, the first Latin American Biennial Arte Curator, it became noticeable that he had focused on works that adopt the language of textiles, giving voice to artists that are often marginalised or belong to lesser known cultures compared to the Westernised Art Cannon, making for an exhibition of refreshingly new ideas and techniques, particularly if you are a textile lover!
The exhibition began on April 20th, and if you're near the area, there's still time to take it in before it closes on 24 November, 2024!
Highlights from the International Exhibition
"Foreigners Everywhere" by Claire Fontaine
Foreigners Everywhere began in 2004 in response to a collective in Turin (Italy) that fought racism and xenophobia in Italy. The installation consists of neon lights with the expression 'Foreigners Everywhere' in over fifty western and non-western languages. It also includes a number of indigenous languages, some of which are now extinct. Claire Fontaine has been using their work to question the role of artists and the place of art in the world. This year's installation is thought-provoking and timely and was the theme for the entire event.
According to Wikipedia, Claire Fontaine lifted her name from a popular brand of French school notebooks and stationary. She declared herself a readymade artist and began to elaborate a version of neo-conceptual art that often looks like other people's work. 'Claire Fontaine', when translated into English means "Clear Fountain" and can also be conceptually linked to the artwork Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, known as the most famous readymade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Fontaine
Takapau by Mataaho Collective
A powerful presentation by the Mataaho Collective, consisting of four Maori women artists from New Zealand. The installation is inspired by whariki takapau, finely woven mats traditionally used in ceremonies, particularly childbirth. Takapau marks the moment of birth, signifying the transition between light and dark. The Mataaho Collective work, rich in cultural symbolism, bridges traditional and contemporary art forms.
Woven from reflective ties that are used to secure moving cargo, combined with lighting to enhance the structural beauty with the interplay of shadows, changes as one moves through the exhibition room, created a multi-sensorial experience.
"Come, let me heal your wounds. Let me mend your broken bones" by Dana Awartani
Palestinian artist Dana Awartani presents a poignant piece using silk naturally dyed using medicinal plants and mended by hand, invites viewers to ponder the healing process in both physical and metaphorical terms.
A continual work in progress, each individual fabric panel is representative of a cultural or historical sites that has been destroyed in the Arab world due to war and acts of terrorism.
The fabrics are embedded with sacred healing properties of the medicinal plants (likely turmeric and madder) have been mended, a gesture of healing, which result in 'scars' on the fabric.
Ajrakh Block Prints by Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic
Representing Panama and the Netherlands, this duo showcases intricate Ajrakh block printed indigo textiles (a technique practiced at the Ajrakh work shop in India. Ajrakh is a 4,000 year old practice orally passed down through generations). This installation emphasises traditional craftsmanship and its modern relevance.
I particularly enjoyed the presentation of this piece, combining two dimensional textiles with three dimensional scaffolding to create an installation that combines the abstract pattern of intercultural DNA using indigo printed textiles that embodied the global connection of the Black Atlantic colonial history and enslaved Africans who carried with them the knowledge of cultivating indigo with them to the Americas.
Heres a video of the ajrakh block printing and dyeing process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCJtHiIfyn8
Untitled Batik by Sangodare Gbadegesin Ajala
From Nigeria, Sangodare Gbadegesin Ajala creates Adire batik, a resist technique using cassava starch, exemplifies the beauty of traditional African textile art. The fabric is a canvas that combines artistic practice and ritual using batik to share the stories of the artist's rich complex heritage and spirituality. Scenes in his artworks included images of deities, festivals and everyday life.
The artist was interested in Yoruba herbology to develop plant dyes, including indigo to achieve the almost black shade, to create compositions using up to thirty five different colours.
Chelhchup (Autumn) by Claudia Alarcon and Silat, Argentina
Claudia Alarcon worked with members of Silat to process, spin and dye fibres from the native chaguar plant to create traditional geometric patterns using 'yica' stitch. What I loved about this piece was that it used a traditional technique and combined it with modern geometric imagery. This is a way I like to create in my own artwork, taking traditional known techniques and combining them with the unexpected.
There is very little on yica stitch on the internet, however it looks to be a knotting technique used to create a fabric. Here's a video of the artist making the traditional stitch https://www.facebook.com/PampaBrava/videos/415855808461579
Untitled (detail), Anna Zemankova
A fabulous combination of coloured pencils, ballpoint, embroidery and pearls on paper, Anna Zemankova, a Czech Artist, has been compared to Hilma af Klint although she never claimed her works were inspired by mystical philosophy but rather she was inspired by her subconscious.
I enjoy seeing the combination of materials that are not usually found in an exhibition setting, particularly the stitching on paper, particularly that this artwork was created in 1975.
Die Magische Frau, Susanne Wenger
Austrian born Susanne Wenger studied the batik dyeing rituals of the Yoruba, African peoples where a design is applied with cassava- starch paste before the textile is immersed in indigo. Wenger adapted the cloth that was originally used for women's wrappers as an opportunity to create large format, hand painted textile compositions, sometimes stitching several panels of cloth together.
Participating Countries and Their Exhibitions
Along with the curated exhibition in the grand halls of the Arsenale, the biennale continues outside in the adjacent buildings surrounding the Arsenale along with further pavillions in the Giardini.
Canada: Kapawani Kiwanga
In "Trinket," Kapawani Kiwanga examines the intersections of history, memory, and cultural identity using conterie (glass seed beads). It was an incredibly impressive exhibition as the entire room was covered with glass seed beads that had been strung into lengths of colour.
A concept that is so simple, yet so profound, as indigenous artists of Canada have historically utilised seed beads in their artworks and quilwork.
Republic of Uzbekistan: Dont miss the cue
A fabulous immersive installation, Dont miss the cue used a theatre style prop that was inspired by the traditional textiles of Uzbekistan. Artist Aziza Kadyri ponders the question 'How do we perform belonging? How do we embody the character of a foreigner' using the experiences of Central Asian women and how they reimagine their identities in the process of migration.
Whilst in the space the viewer is invited to become both the observer and the observed, shifting states of exposure as I discovered that whilst viewing this artwork, I was also being viewed through a screen, reminiscent of a tv recording studion.
Plurinational State of Bolivia : We are looking to the FuturePast, We are treading forward
A delightful exhibition creatively displaying traditional methods of spinning wool. The wall description reads "The past is not to be considered outdated and frozen in time, we must keep our eyes fixed on it as we move towards the future. It offers many tools, including wisdom and the ability to strive, to create a more fair
and sustainable future. By carefully exploring its depths, we can cultivate the foundations of the world we want to build."
Uruguay: Latent
This is a clever exhibition by artist Eduardo Cardozo who uses fabric rags to recreate The Paradise by Renaissance painter Tintoretto. Il Paradiso is a massive (22 x 9 metres) oil painting on canvas that dominates the main hall of the Doge's Palace, Venice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Paradiso
Lithuania: Pakui Hardware & Marija Terese Rozanskaite
Held in an old church we stumbled across this exhibition at the very end of the day - and it turned out to be one of the best ones we enjoyed. Their collaborative work, "Inflammation," investigates the relationship between technology and the human body and consisted of fused aluminium and glass sculptures that were combined with textile rags on the floor which cleverly concealed red laser lights which shone through the glass sculptures and projected fabulous red lines on the walls around us.
Collateral Events
In addition to the curated exhibition and the pavilions, there were also collateral events that were staged by galleries and art collectives throughout the city.
Dichotomy: Elias Sime
Elias Sime’s "Dichotomy" uses recycled materials to create intricate and thought-provoking pieces that comment on the dualities of life. Each of the panels in this artwork was made by braiding electrical wires and attached to a panel. It was quite fascinating and beautiful to see the intricate detail and colours of the plastic coated wires that had been meticulously woven and shaped into large artworks.
Final Thoughts
I had an incredible time at the Venice Biennale 2024, and it promises to be an extraordinary journey through the myriad expressions of contemporary art for anyone who might be interested. Each pavilion and installation invites us to rethink our perceptions of foreignness, identity, and the interconnectedness of our global community. Whether you are an art aficionado or a curious traveler, the Biennale offers a truly unique experience that celebrates creativity in its most diverse forms.
There were many other great artworks and pavilions to be appreciated I just touched upon the surface of some of the many textile artworks that were on display mentioned in this blog post. I allowed three days to view the exhibits, and if I were to do it again, I would allow an entire week to enjoy the art, culture, vibe and atmosphere of the beautiful city.
Have you attended the Venice Biennale, or are you planning to go before it closes in November? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments!
