Antonio Grulli Reviews the 2022 Venice Biennale ‘The Milk of Dreams’

Antonio Grulli offers a positive review of the 59th Venice Biennale, titled 'The Milk of Dreams' and curated by Cecilia Alemani. He describes the exhibition as beautiful, strong, and perfectly installed, with a surreal imprint that engages with contemporary political correctness without being stifled by it. Grulli notes a prevalence of figurative painting and a reduced presence of video compared to past editions. He finds the Central Pavilion at the Giardini more successful than the Arsenale, highlighting tributes to Paula Rego, Miriam Cahn, Andra Ursuta, and Rosemarie Trockel. His favorite work is Nan Goldin's video 'Sirens,' a found-footage ode to Donyale Luna with a score by Mica Levi. Grulli expresses concern about the strong presence of deceased artists, suggesting biennials should focus on new production. Among Italian artists, he praises Giulia Cenci's monumental installation at the Arsenale. He also commends the Marlene Dumas retrospective at Palazzo Grassi as a masterpiece, while finding most national pavilions lackluster except for Belgium's with Francis Alÿs.