Czech Pavilion at 60th Venice Biennale Showcases Eva Koťátková and Hana Janečková's Project on Lenka the Giraffe
At the 60th Venice Biennale, the Czech Republic is represented by Eva Koťátková and curator Hana Janečková with their work titled 'The heart of a giraffe in captivity is twelve kilos lighter'. This installation and performance center around Lenka, a giraffe captured in Kenya in 1954, who spent two years in Prague Zoo before being transferred to the National Museum, where she was displayed until 2000. Collaborators include artists Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser, the collective Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures, along with local children and elderly participants. The Czech Pavilion, open from 20 April to 24 November, tackles themes of eurocentrism and colonialism. They recommend Kafka's works and acknowledge Cecilia Vicuña's influence, showing interest in other pavilions as well.
Key facts
- Eva Koťátková and Hana Janečková represent the Czech Republic at the 60th Venice Biennale
- Their project 'The heart of a giraffe in captivity is twelve kilos lighter' focuses on Lenka the giraffe captured in Kenya in 1954
- Lenka was transported to Prague Zoo and survived two years before her body was donated to the National Museum in Prague
- The project involves collaborators Himali Singh Soin, David Soin Tappeser, Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures, and groups of children and older people
- The Czech Pavilion is located in the Giardini and runs from 20 April to 24 November
- The artists aim to interrogate eurocentrism and narrow definitions of nationhood at the Biennale
- They discuss Czech complexities with colonialism due to historical occupations by the Soviet Union, Germany, and Austrian Hungarian Empire
- Janečková recommends Franz Kafka's novels to understand Central European sensibility
Entities
Artists
- Eva Koťátková
- Hana Janečková
- Himali Singh Soin
- David Soin Tappeser
- Adriano Pedrosa
- Cecilia Vicuña
- Amanda Boulos
- Oto Hudec
- Filipa Ramos
- Franz Kafka
Institutions
- ArtReview
- Venice Biennale
- Czech Pavilion
- Prague Zoo
- National Museum in Prague
- Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures
- Hylozoic/Desires
- Dutch Pavilion
- Finnish Pavilion
- Slovak Republic
- Catalan Pavilion
- Croatian Pavilion
- Lithuanian Pavilion
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Czech Republic
- Giardini
- Kenya
- Prague
- Global South
- Central Europe
- Soviet Union
- Germany
- Austrian Hungarian Empire
- UK