54th Venice Biennale 2011

Special by UiU, including extensive coverages of selected pavilions and exhibitions:

	ILLUMInazioni - ILLUMInations Central international exhibition. Artistic director: Bice Curiger. 83 artists and groups.
	Chile Artist: Fernando Prats. Curator: Fernando Castro Flórez. Commissioner: Antonio Arévalo.
	Future Pass  From Asia to the World. Over 100 artists. Curators: Victoria Lu, Renzo di Renzo, Felix Schöber.
	Georgia Artist: Tamara Kvesitadze. Curator: Henk Slager. Commissioner: Päivi Tirkkonen.
	Latin America Pavilion of the IILA. Commissioner: Patricia Rivadeneira. Curator: Alfons Hug. 24 participants.
	Taiwan  Pavilion of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Artists: Hong-Kai Wang, Yu-Hsien Su. Curator: Amy Cheng.
	The Future of a Promise  Pan-Arab exhibition of contemporary art, works by 21 artists. Curator: Lina Lazaar.
	United Arab Emirates Reem Al Ghaith, Lateefa bint Maktoum, Abdullah Al Saadi. Curator: Vasif Kortun. Commissioner: Lamees Hamdan.

Media partnerships:

	Central Asia 11 artists. Curators: Boris Chukhovich, Georgy Mamedov, Oksana Shatalova.
	Egypt  Ahmed Basiony (killed on Tahrir Square). Curator: Aida Eltorie. Executive Curator: Shady El Noshokaty.
	Working for Change  Project for the Moroccan Pavilion. A group of participants. Curator: Abdellah Karroum.

The 54th International Art Exhibition, with the title of ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations, is directed by Bice Curiger and organized by la Biennale di Venezia under the presidency of Paolo Baratta.

The exhibition ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations will be laid out in the Central Pavilion in the Giardini and in the Arsenale, forming a single itinerary, featuring 82 artists from all over the world. The director asked four participating artists to create "parapavilions", architectural and sculptural structures erected in the Giardini and the Arsenale to house the works of other artists.

Bice Curiger stated:

"La Biennale is one of the world’s most important forums for the dissemination and 'illumination' about the current developments in international art. The title of the 54th Exhibition, ILLUMInations literally draws attention to the importance of such developments in a globalised world. I am particularly interested in the eagerness of many contemporary artists to establish an intense dialogue with the viewer, and to challenge the conventions through which contemporary art is viewed."

"ILLUMInations emphasizes the intuitive insight and the illumination of thought that is fostered by an encounter with art and its ability to sharpen the tools of perception – the director underlined. While the last Biennale ‘Making Worlds’ highlighted constructive creativity, ILLUMInations will focus on the 'light’ of the illuminating experience, on the epiphanies that come with intercommunicative, intellectual comprehension. The Age of Enlightenment also resonates in ILLUMInations, testifying to the enduring vibrancy of its legacy".

Bice Curiger is an art historian, critic and curator of international exhibitions. Her curatorial activity at Kunsthaus Zurich parallels her important work in the publishing sector. In 1984, she cofounded the prestigious art magazine "Parkett", of which she is editor-in-chief. She has been publishing director of London Tate Gallery’s magazine "Tate etc" since 2004.

More: >> Bice Curiger, biographical data

The central international exhibition "ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations" will be paralleled by 88 national participations, a record for the Art Biennale (there were 77 in 2009) , housed in the historical Pavilions in the Giardini, in the Arsenale, as well as in other locations around the city. More than 40 Collateral Events will be arranged by international organizations and institutions, which will set up their exhibitions and initiatives in various locations around the city on the occasion of the Biennale.

(From a press release, 11 March 2011)

54th International Art Exhibition Awards:

Golden Lion for Best National Participation:
Germany, Christoph Schlingensief
Commissioner: Susanne Gaensheimer
(Pavilion at the Giardini)

Golden Lion for the best artist
at the ILLUMInations Exhibition:
Christian Marclay: The Clock, 2010
 (* 1955 USA; at the Arsenale)

Silver Lion for a promising young artist
at the ILLUMInations Exhibition:
Haroon Mirza
(* 1977 Great Britain; Arsenale and Central Pavilion, Giardini)

The Jury has also decided to assign
two Special Mentions:

Lithuania
Behind the White Curtain, Darius Mikšys
Commissioner: Kestutis Kuizinas
(Pavilion in town; Scuola S. Pasquale, Castello 278)

Klara Lidén
Untitled (Trashcan), 2011
(* 1979 Sweden; at the Arsenale)

The Board of la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, also awarded Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement under director Bice Curiger’s proposal to:

Sturtevant
* 1930 Lakewood, Ohio, USA. Lives in Paris, France.

Franz West
* 1947 Vienna, Austria; lives there.

International Jury of the 54th International Art Exhibition:

Hassan Khan  (Egypt)
President of the jury, visual artist and experimental musician, lives and works in Cairo.
more info & photos

Carol Yinghua Lu (China)
Independent curator and art critic, contributes to several international magazines such as Frieze, Contemporary and Today Art.

Letizia Ragaglia (Italy)
Specialized in museology and contemporary art, director of the Museion, Museo of modern and contemporary art Bolzano.

Christine Macel   (France)
Writer, art critic, has been curator at Centre Pompidou, Paris since 2000.

John Waters  (USA)
Filmmaker, actor, writer, artist and art collector, teaches Film and Subculture at the European Graduate School, Switzerland.

Organizer, contact:

La Biennale di Venezia
Settore Arte

Ca' Giustinian
San Marco 1364/A
30124 Venezia
Italy

Tel.: +39 041 - 5218711
Fax: +39 041 - 5218812

Email: aav@labiennale.org
Website: www.labiennale.org

Press office Art:

infoartivisive@labiennale.org

Tel.: +39 041 - 5218846 / 716
Fax: +39 041 - 5218812

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Note:
The facts have been compiled from information of the organizers. We do not assume responsibility regarding the correctness of this information. See the Disclaimer.
Gerhard Haupt and Pat Binder, Universes in Universe

See also:

55th Venice Biennale, 2013
International Art Exhibition, June - November 2013. Artistic director: Massimiliano Gioni.

53rd Venice Biennale, 2009
Extensive photo tour, including 24 pavilions & exhibitions

52nd Venice Biennale, 2007
Photo tour: 118 artists

51st Venice Biennale, 2005
Photo tour: ca. 100 artists

50th Venice Biennale, 2003
Photo tour: ca. 80 artists

49th Venice Biennale, 2001
Photo tour: large selection.