The 60th Venice Biennale, a globally enriching and aspirational art event, has officially begun, and we’re illuminating here the enchanting Pavilion exhibitions of Ethiopia, Egypt, Greece, Australia, and Lebanon.
Tesfaye Urgessa at the Ethiopia Pavilion: “Prejudice and Belonging”
Tesfaye Urgessa at the 60th Venice Biennale’s Ethiopia Pavilion: “Prejudice and Belonging,” courtesy of the artist.
Artist Tesfaye Urgessa ushers in the inaugural participation of Ethiopia in the Venice Biennale with the masterful exhibition “Prejudice and Belonging.” Curated by award-winning author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL, a sumptuous blend of Ethiopian symbolism, traditional figurative painting techniques, and complex race and identity politics set within nostalgic household environments leads to a must-see presentation. The visionary’s 13 years of rich study in cultural and artistic investigation while in Germany unfold here as an expressive show of human vulnerability and strength.
“I am immensely grateful and honored to be the first artist to show at the Ethiopia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, one of the most renowned and influential art events in the world,” said Urgessa. “This is a historic achievement for Ethiopia, as it is the first time that it has its own Pavilion at the Biennale. This would not have been possible without the support and trust of Saatchi Yates Gallery London, the Ministry of Tourism in Ethiopia, the Embassy of Ethiopia in Rome, and their hardworking teams. I sincerely thank them all for making this dream come true. This is not only a personal milestone, but also a proud moment for Ethiopian art and culture. I am honored to represent my country and to showcase my work to a global audience. I hope that my exhibition at the Palazzo Bolani will inspire and empower other Ethiopian artists to pursue their creative aspirations and to share their stories with the world. I believe that this is the start of a new era for Ethiopian art, and I am excited to be part of it.”
“It is a great day for Ethiopia and Venice that this is the first Ethiopia Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia 2024,” added Sissay. “Art is deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture from the coffee ceremony to the ancient Christian iconography. Contemporary Ethiopian art is rising in prominence and stature throughout the world. It is evident in music, in literature, in photography and in art. Tesfaye Urgessa is the artist on the crest of this wave. Come to Palazzo Bollani, take a closer look and enrich your world.”
Wael Shawky at the Egypt Pavilion: “Drama 1882”
Installation view of Wael Shawky Representing Egypt at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, “Drama 1882,” 2024, © Wael Shawky, Courtesy of Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Lisson Gallery, Lia Rumma, and Barakat Contemporary.
Multidisciplinary artist Wael Shawky unveils “Drama 1882” at this year’s Egyptian Pavilion, a filmed interpretation of an original musical that has been skillfully choreographed, composed, and directed by the creative himself. Inspired by his country’s nationalist Urabi revolution in opposition to imperial influence from 1879-82, the artist looked to the year 1882 when the revolt was shattered by the British. Consequently, Egypt was occupied by the British until 1956. Invoking the 60th Venice Biennale’s theme of “Foreigners Everywhere,” a fantastical collage of cinema, vitrines, sculptures, drawings, and paintings—as well as a mirror relief created by the artist—culminates in an ingenious and poignant exhibition.
Normally I insisted on erasing drama from my previous films, so I opted for puppets, marionettes, and children,” explained Shawky. “This time drama has several meanings: There is the sense of make-believe, connected to the idea of having a show, like theatre. There is no theatrical performance in ‘Drama 1882’. The background is moving in slow motion, as if in layers. In the end this makes the work like a moving painting, with the performers and soundtrack being elements in this composition. The word ‘drama’ has many implications: it conjures a sense of entertainment, the sense of catastrophe and our inherent doubt in history.”
“Xirómero/Dryland” at the Greece Pavilion
Installation view of Thanasis Deligiannis and Yannis Michalopoulos at the Greece Pavilion of the 60th Venice Biennale: “Xirómero/Dryland,” ©Yorgos Kyvernitis, courtesy of the artists.
Including work by artists Thanasis Deligiannis, Yannis Michalopoulos, Elia Kalogianni, Yorgos Kyvernitis, Kostas Chaikalis and Fotis Sagonas, multifaceted collective work “Xirómero/Dryland” centers on agricultural irrigation equipment in conjunction with a sensorial installation of sound, video, and lights.
Curated by Panos Giannikopoulos, a village celebration ensues, journeying from the village square to the hinterland. Visualizing water as a kind of prism, the artists speak to its pivotal position in the community, how it is required and at the same time squandered. An imaginative investigation of the political possibilities of sound and music also transpires, illuminating the influence of technology on the cultural diversity of rural communities.
Archie Moore at the Australia Pavilion: “kith and kin”
Archie Moore, “kith and kin,” 2024, Australia pavilion at venice biennale 2024, photo by andrea rossetti, © the artist, courtesy of the artist and the commercial.
Innovative artist Archie Moore was awarded the noble Golden Lion for Best National Participation at La Biennale de Venezia 2024 with his awe-inspiring and poetic exhibition “kith and kin.” The inaugural Australian artist to receive the high honor, Moore reshaped the pavilion into an exhaustive and graphic black-and-white genealogical diagram encompassing 65,000 years of history. Curated by Ellie Buttrose, and commissioned by Creative Australia, the far-reaching creation weaves the luminary’s familial stories with global narratives. In this vein, a pure analysis and celebration of humanity, space, and time unfolds.
“In this quiet, impactful pavilion, Archie Moore worked for months to hand-draw in chalk a monumental First Nation family tree,” said the jury of the 60th Venice Biennale. “Thus 65,000 years of history (both recorded and lost) are inscribed on the dark walls and ceiling, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks and grasp the inherent fragility of this mournful archive. The official documents drawn up by the State float in a moat of water. The result of Moore’s intensive research, these documents reflect the high rates of incarceration of First Nations people. This installation stands out for its strong aesthetic, its lyricism and its invocation of a shared loss of an occluded past. With his inventory of thousands of names, Moore also offers a glimmer of the possibility of recovery.”
Mounira Al Solh at the Lebanon Pavilion: “A Dance with her Myth”
Pavilion of Lebanon at la Biennale Arte 2024, courtesy of the artist Mounira Al Solh & Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut/Hamburg, Photo by Federico Vespignani, © LVAA.
Curated and commissioned by Nada Ghandour, alongside associate curator Dina Bizri, artist Mounira Al Solh fills the Lebanon Pavilion with a whimsical adventure that blurs the lines between fact and fiction. The widespread and colorful multimedia installation, titled “A Dance with her Myth,” brings together drawings, paintings, embroideries, sculptures, and video works, making way for a female-centered perspective on contemporary existence.
Conjuring the legend of the rapt of Europa, the artist’s deft creative process lends both documentary and fairy-tale-like nuances to express the destiny of women, their resilience, and their determination. At the heart of the presentation, an unfinished boat welcomes visitors into an otherworldly realm of freedom and fairness between genders—a powerful goal yet to be fully achieved in the real world. A provocative revolution between artworks plays out within the lush space.
