Biennale Arte 2024: Shabby Chic and Contentism Triumph in Pedrosa's Curatorial Vision

Christian Caliandro's critical review of the 60th Venice Biennale, 'Stranieri Ovunque / Foreigners Everywhere,' curated by Adriano Pedrosa, argues that the exhibition epitomizes 'shabby chic' and 'contentism'—a trend where artworks are justified by biographical trauma narratives rather than aesthetic merit. The show features 300 artists, 60% of whom are deceased, surpassing the previous edition's high percentage. Caliandro contends that didactic labels have become the primary artworks, reducing physical pieces to mere pretexts for textual explanation. He cites examples like Santiago Yahuarcani, Rember Yahuarcani, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Marlene Gibson, and others to illustrate how personal and collective trauma stories authenticate otherwise banal objects. While acknowledging strong works by Manauara Clandestina, Louis Fratino, Alessandra Ferrini, Marco Scotini, Lina Bo Bardi, Gabrielle Goliath, and Anna Maria Maiolino (Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement), Caliandro deems only five or six out of 300 works as genuinely compelling, criticizing the Biennale for prioritizing ethical pedagogy over aesthetic efficacy and for ignoring pressing geopolitical and ecological crises. He references critics Ludovico Pratesi, Alessandro Del Puppo, Stefano Chiodi, and Filippo La Porta (who coined 'contentism') to support his assessment.