Animals as Metaphor and Messenger at the 59th Venice Biennale

The 59th Venice Biennale, titled 'Il latte dei sogni' (The Milk of Dreams), features a significant number of works centered on animals, using them as metaphors for life, death, and contemporary issues. Drawing on John Berger's 2016 book 'Why Look at Animals?', the exhibition explores humanity's primordial attraction to animals and their progressive marginalization. Key video works include Luiz Roque's 'Urubu' (2020), showing vultures gliding over a silent São Paulo during lockdown; P. Staff's 'On Venus', a psychedelic critique of capitalist violence; Marianna Simnett's 'The Severed Tail' addressing sexual liberation; Liv Bugge's 'PLAY' (2019) on social cooperation; Elisa Giardina Papa's 'U Scantu' featuring a goat; Diego Marcon's 'The Parents' Room' with a blackbird; and Janis Rafa's 'Lacerate' (2020) with dogs as psychopomps. The Mexico Pavilion presents Naomi Rincón Gallardo's ecologist video installation 'Soneto de Alimañas'. Andro Eradze's 'Nightvision, limited access' and Noor Abuarafeh's 'Am I the Ageless Object at the Museum?' draw parallels between museums and zoos. The Biennale runs from April 23 to November 27, 2022, curated by Cecilia Alemani.