Biennale di Venezia and Legoland: A Capitalist Festival
Luca Arnaudo compares the Venice Biennale to Legoland, arguing both are manifestations of capitalist consumption and controlled festivity. He notes similarities between the Kuka robot at the Biennale and Legoland's Robocoaster, and between children's excitement for Ninjago City and adults' pursuit of favorite artists. Arnaudo suggests that cultural education leads to observation over action, referencing Pierre Bourdieu's homo academicus. He frames both events as 'commanded festivals' in a Christian-capitalist logic, drawing on Walter Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben. However, he highlights a moment of freedom at the Venezuelan pavilion, where an improvised installation of a painted canoe and a wire dog sparked spontaneous discussion. The text was published on Artribune in July 2019.
Key facts
- Luca Arnaudo visited both the Venice Biennale and Legoland in Günzburg, Germany.
- The Biennale sells over half a million tickets per edition.
- Sun Yuan & Peng Yu's robotic installation at the Giardini uses a Kuka robot.
- Legoland has a similar Kuka robot attraction called Robocoaster.
- The Venezuelan pavilion was initially unused due to political crisis but later opened.
- An improvised installation at the Venezuelan pavilion featured a painted canoe and a wire dog.
- Arnaudo references Pierre Bourdieu's homo academicus.
- The article references Walter Benjamin's 'Capitalism as Religion' and Giorgio Agamben's 'Creation and Anarchy'.
Entities
Artists
- Sun Yuan
- Peng Yu
- Carlo Scarpa
- Pierre Bourdieu
- Walter Benjamin
- Giorgio Agamben
- Luca Arnaudo
Institutions
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Legoland
- Artribune
- Kuka
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Günzburg
- Germany
- Giardini
- Venezuela