The 59th Venice Biennale, from afar: Part 1-Context and History
The 59th Venice Biennale opened to the public on 23 April 2022 and caused a lot of excitement here in the Caribbean, as the coveted Golden Lion awards went to two artists of Caribbean descent. Sonia Boyce, whose parents were from Barbados and Guyana, received the Golden Lion for her project Feeling Her Way for the Great Britain National Pavilion. Simone Leigh, whose parents were Jamaican, received the award for her sculpture Brick House in the International Exhibition, which was curated by the 59th Biennale’s lead curator, Cecilia Alemani. Simone Leigh also represents the USA with her exhibition Sovereignty, at the US National Pavilion, while Scotland is represented by Alberta Whittle, who was born in Barbados.
Clearly, we are witnessing an historic moment with this prominent and critically acclaimed representation of artists with Caribbean roots in what is widely regarded as the most prestigious recurrent international art exhibition. This year’s edition has been hailed as unprecedented for several reasons, as female artists have outnumbered men for the first time, and is the edition with the most prominent representation of artists of African descent. While these developments are unprecedented, it is not the first time Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora artists have been represented in the Venice Biennale. A bit of history and context may be helpful.
The Biennale is the oldest international art exhibition of its kind. Established in 1895, it has been held every other year since then, with only a few interruptions (the current edition was originally scheduled for last year but postponed to this year because of the pandemic). The concept of this international exhibition was, at its origins, closely related to that of the world fairs, with national representations in dedicated national pavilions, and the Venice Biennale has, at times, been described as the “Art World Olympics.” Those participating countries that can afford to do so, have permanent pavilions, often designed by prominent architects. Most are in the Giardini Park and the nearby Arsenale complex, but, increasingly, national and other representations are also held in various temporary locations throughout the City of Venice.
Since 1998, the Biennale has had three components: the national pavilions, an international exhibition which is curated by the Biennale’s lead curator for that edition, and collateral events that are approved by the curator. The physical footprint of the exhibition has expanded significantly, with the addition of new and temporary pavilions which since 1980 includes the Arsenale, a large building complex associated with Venice’s naval and military history (it was once the centre of ship construction in the city as well as its military arsenal). The rough-hewn, expansive spaces of the Arsenale are ideal to exhibit large-scale contemporary art projects and not only house some of the national pavilions but also the international exhibition.
The Venice Biennale is well supported by the City of Venice, and a signal event in the city’s cultural identity, along with related events such as the Venice Architecture Biennale and the Venice Film Festival. The event also plays an important role in the historic city’s visitor economy and is a signal part of the city’s cultural identity: the 2019 edition recorded 600,000 visitors and this includes art world professionals as well as tourists. The City of Venice is one of Europe’s main tourist attractions, with a staggering 26 to 30 million tourist visits per year. The Venice Biennale is, indeed, an important and instructive case study for the role of international cultural events in urban and cultural tourism development.
This does not necessarily mean that the Biennale is unequivocally supported by the residents of the city, where there is mounting resistance against tourism overdevelopment, and the effects on the quality of life of those who still make the city their home as well as on its fragile and threatened natural and physical environment. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Arsenale in February 2022, when it was announced that the Venice Biennale exhibition space at the Arsenale complex would be expanded to house the Biennale’s archives. The protesters, who represented a coalition of resident interests named the Forum Futuro Arsenale, called for the space to be used, instead, to facilitate boat repairs and to provide space for local artists. It is difficult, indeed, to reconcile local needs and priorities and the immense social pressures associated with hosting mega art events, with their broader cultural and economic benefits. The point is, of course, that most international biennales speak to the international art world as their primary audience, and reflect those interests in their conception, and many events have struggled with how to engage and empower local audiences. Venice’s local population may be small, and is dwindling, but that does not mean that residents do not matter. This is a challenge the Venice Biennale has clearly not yet been able to tackle meaningfully, even though it could in fact play an important role in that process.
The Venice Biennale is in many ways the barometer of the international art world. While in the past it was, undeniably, focused on White and male artists, the exhibition has in recent years become more diverse, inclusive, and actively globalized. In what was another milestone in the Biennale’s development was, which helped to lay the foundation for what is happening now, the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, for instance, curated by the Nigerian-American curator Okwui Enwezor, the first African-born curator to be invited for that prestigious assignment. The recent trajectory of the Venice Biennale reflects tectonic shifts in the international art world, with what appears to be a more balanced approach to what is represented and foregrounded.
In my next column, which will appear on May 15, I will take a closer look at the Caribbean representation in the 59thVenice Biennale and their significance for the changes that are taking place in the international art world.
Dr Veerle Poupeye is an art historian specialized in art from the Caribbean. She lectures at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica, and works as an independent curator, writer, researcher, and cultural consultant. Her personal blog can be found at veerlepoupeye.com.
