Critique of Christine Macel's 2017 Venice Biennale as 'Ugly but Right'

The 57th Venice Biennale, curated by Christine Macel, is described as 'ugly but right' in an editorial by Marco Enrico Giacomelli and Massimiliano Tonelli on Artribune. The authors criticize the exhibition for lacking curatorial flair, big names, and impactful artworks, noting that Macel's selection of forgotten artists often fails to impress, with exceptions like Kiki Smith and Philippe Parreno yielding unexciting results. However, they argue that the Biennale's true significance lies in its intellectual framework and political positioning, orchestrated by president Paolo Baratta. Baratta chose Macel to steer away from the socially engaged, issue-driven direction of recent editions (2011 by Bice Curiger, 2013 by Massimiliano Gioni, 2015 by Okwui Enwezor) and return to an art-for-art's-sake approach, emphasizing artists' practices and emotional capacity over direct social commentary. This move, described as a strategic 'positioning,' reclaims the Biennale's institutional role and differentiates it from other mega-exhibitions like documenta 14 in Athens, which the authors view as forced and inadequate. While the curatorial grid is praised for its clarity and political shift, the content within it—artworks and artists—is deemed lacking in quality. The editorial concludes that the path for the 2019 edition has been well laid, and others may follow Venice's lead.