Laura Cherubini Critiques the 2022 Venice Biennale as an Overly Large Mega-Show
In her review of the 59th Venice Biennale, Laura Cherubini highlights Gian Maria Tosatti's Italian Pavilion alongside Cecilia Alemani's main exhibition. Curated by Eugenio Viola, Tosatti's work, 'Storia della Notte e Destino delle Comete,' delves into Italy's industrial decline, drawing inspiration from Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1975 piece on fireflies. Cherubini commends the Pavilion for its focused examination of Italian history, contrasting it with Alemani's 'Il latte dei sogni' (The Milk of Dreams), which she perceives as excessively expansive and repetitive. The exhibition includes pieces by Simone Leigh, Noah Davis, and Joanna Piotrowska. She also points out notable national pavilions and endorses collateral exhibitions by Anselm Kiefer and 'Penumbra,' advocating for a return to a polyphonic approach in future Biennales.
Key facts
- Gian Maria Tosatti represented Italy at the 2022 Venice Biennale with 'Storia della Notte e Destino delle Comete', curated by Eugenio Viola.
- Tosatti's work is inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1975 article on the disappearance of fireflies.
- Cecilia Alemani curated the main exhibition 'Il latte dei sogni' (The Milk of Dreams), referencing Leonora Carrington.
- The Italian Pavilion featured a single artist and curator, a format Cherubini endorses.
- Notable national pavilions included Belgium (Francis Alÿs), France (Zineb Sedira), and Denmark (centaur family).
- Collateral exhibitions include Anselm Kiefer at Palazzo Ducale and 'Penumbra' at Complesso dell'Ospedaletto.
- Cherubini criticizes the mega-show format and suggests a polyphonic model with multiple curators.
- The Biennale was held in Venice from April to November 2022.
Entities
Artists
- Gian Maria Tosatti
- Cecilia Alemani
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Luchino Visconti
- Leonora Carrington
- Simone Leigh
- Noah Davis
- Joanna Piotrowska
- Francis Alÿs
- Zineb Sedira
- Pavlo Makov
- Jonathas de Andrade
- Latifa Echakhch
- Stan Douglas
- Arcangelo Sassolino
- Marco Fusinato
- Giuseppe Stampone
- Anselm Kiefer
- Aziz Hazara
- Masbedo
- Mirella Bentivoglio
- Bice Lazzari
- Elisa Montessori
- Portia Zvavahera
- Rosana Paulino
- Britta Marakatt-Labba
- Liv Bugge
- Thao Nguyen Phan
- Saodat Ismailova
- Zheng Bo
- Diego Marcon
- Sondra Perry
- Wu Tsang
- Ruth Asawa
- Marisa Merz
- Delcy Morelos
- Sandra Vàsquez de la Horra
- Precious Okoyomon
- Maria Thereza Alves
- Mimmo Jodice
- Ottiero Ottieri
- Ermanno Rea
- Mimì Rea
- Andrea Emo
- Massimo Cacciari
- Francesco Bonami
- Catherine David
- Hou Hanru
- Massimiliano Gioni
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- André Breton
- Leonor Fini
- Meret Oppenheim
- Carlo Ripa di Meana
- Okwui Enwezor
- Antoni Muntadas
- Andrea Cortellessa
Institutions
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Padiglione Italia
- Tese dell'Arsenale
- Giardini
- Corderie
- Palazzo Ducale
- Complesso dell'Ospedaletto
- Fondazione In Between Art Film
- Olivetti
- Ilva di Bagnoli
- Feltrinelli
- Corriere della Sera
- Artribune
- Ca' Pesaro
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Arsenale
- Giardini
- Palazzo Ducale
- Complesso dell'Ospedaletto
- Pozzuoli
- Naples
- Sanità
- Bagnoli
- Kabul
- Afghanistan
- Pantelleria
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Cuba
- Malta
- Belgium
- France
- Denmark
- Ukraine
- Brazil
- Switzerland
- Canada
- Berlin
- Germany
- Chile
- Colombia
- Norway
- China
- Uzbekistan