Artribune's Top 5 National Pavilions at the 2017 Venice Biennale

Artribune editors selected the best national pavilions at the 2017 Venice Biennale, focusing on those in the Giardini. Despite an overall unenthusiastic mood, several pavilions stood out for their visual and conceptual power. Germany's pavilion featured Anne Imhof with a performance inside a reconfigured glass-and-steel structure, accompanied by guards and caged Dobermans, exploring the body as a tool for expression and liberation. Australia presented Tracey Moffatt's solo show 'My Horizon,' with two photographic series and two videos reflecting on horizons and expectations. Switzerland paid homage to Alberto Giacometti through works by Carol Bove and the duo Theresa Hubbard/Alex Bircheler, oscillating between past and present. South Korea hosted a double solo show by Cody Choi and Lee Wan, addressing contradictions of tradition, modernity, spirituality, consumerism, and globalization. France's pavilion featured Xavier Veilhan's 'merzbau' combining technology and cardboard instruments, curated by MAMCO Geneva director Lionel Bovier and Golden Lion winner Christian Marclay. The article also teases upcoming reports from the Arsenale, highlighting an exceptional Italian pavilion.