Biennale Gherdëina 2022: Ecological Art in the Dolomites
The eighth edition of Biennale Gherdëina, titled 'Persones Persons,' is curated by Lucia Pietroiusti and Filipa Ramos and set in the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites in Ortisei and Val Gardena. The biennial features 24 artists and collectives, with a focus on ecological production and reduced scale. Works are installed across multiple venues, including Sala Trenker, Hotel Ladinia, Vallunga, Castello Fischburg, and a forest path. Notable contributions include Jimmie Durham's 'Ghost in the machine' (a plaster Athena tied to a refrigerator), Britta Marakatt-Labba's geopolitical Sámi embroidery, Judith Hopf's cement Amazon-style boxes with sheep, and Kyriaki Goni's video on Data Gardens storing digital memory in plant DNA. The Karrabing Film Collective presents a smartphone-shot horror-travelogue hybrid. At Castello Fischburg, Revital Cohen & Tuur Van Balen fill a fountain with blue liquid honoring horseshoe crab blood, Lina Lapelyte animates 500 carved animal figurines, and Ignota (Sarah Shin and Ben Vickers) creates a Memory Garden linking lunar phases to plant-based healing. Gabriel Chaile's clay oven 'Brenta' fosters communal bread-breaking, and Alex Cecchetti's 'Sentiero' offers a sensory forest walk with natural incense. The biennial also includes an ecological program curated by Sarah Solderer and Mara Vöcking, in collaboration with the Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Bolzano.
Key facts
- Eighth edition of Biennale Gherdëina titled 'Persones Persons'
- Curated by Lucia Pietroiusti and Filipa Ramos
- Held in Ortisei and Val Gardena in the UNESCO Dolomites
- Features 24 artists and collectives
- Collaboration with Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Bolzano
- Ecological program curated by Sarah Solderer and Mara Vöcking
- Jimmie Durham's 'Ghost in the machine' includes a plaster Athena and refrigerator
- Britta Marakatt-Labba's embroidery addresses Sámi geopolitics and mythology
- Judith Hopf creates cement sculptures resembling Amazon boxes with sheep
- Kyriaki Goni's video explores Data Gardens storing memory in plant DNA
- Karrabing Film Collective presents horror-travelogue video shot on smartphones
- Revital Cohen & Tuur Van Balen fill a fountain with blue liquid to honor horseshoe crab blood
- Lina Lapelyte animates 500 carved animal figurines in stop-motion
- Ignota (Sarah Shin and Ben Vickers) creates Memory Garden linking lunar phases to plants
- Gabriel Chaile's clay oven 'Brenta' promotes communal bread-sharing
- Alex Cecchetti's 'Sentiero' offers a sensory forest walk with natural incense
- Works also at Castello Fischburg, Hotel Ladinia, Vallunga, and Sala Trenker
- Etel Adnan and Simone Fattal are featured in dialogue at Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare in Bolzano
Entities
Artists
- Lucia Pietroiusti
- Filipa Ramos
- Sarah Solderer
- Mara Vöcking
- Jimmie Durham
- Martina Steckholzer
- Britta Marakatt-Labba
- Judith Hopf
- Kyriaki Goni
- Etel Adnan
- Simone Fattal
- Karrabing Film Collective
- Giles Round
- Tabita Reizaire
- Ana Vaz
- Nuno da Luz
- Eduardo Navarro
- Barbara Gamper
- Bruno Walpoth
- Revital Cohen
- Tuur Van Balen
- Lina Lapelyte
- Chiara Camoni
- Ignota
- Sarah Shin
- Ben Vickers
- Gabriel Chaile
- Alex Cecchetti
- Valerio del Baglivo
- Giorgia Basili
- Gabriele Chaile
- Tuur van Balen
- Lina Lapelytė
- Angelo Plessas
- Tabita Rezaire
- Sergio Rojas
- Thaddäus Salcher
- Himali Singh Soin
- David Soin Tappeser
- Rosi Braidotti
- Vladimir Jankélévitch
- Francesca de Paolis
Institutions
- Biennale Gherdëina
- UNESCO
- Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Bolzano
- Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare
- Museo di Storia Naturale bolzanino
- Artribune
- Italian Council
- Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture
- UNESCO World Heritage
Locations
- Ortisei
- Val Gardena
- Dolomites
- Bolzano
- Sala Trenker
- Hotel Ladinia
- Vallunga
- Castello Fischburg
- Santa Cristina
- Merano
- Berlin
- Ghana
- India
- California
- Venice
- Italy