Estonia, Lithuania, and Scotland Announce Artists for 2019 Venice Biennale

Estonia, Lithuania, and Scotland have revealed their artist selections for the 58th Venice Biennale, scheduled from May 11 to November 24, 2019. Kris Lemsalu will represent Estonia with a performance titled "Funtain" at a former industrial building on the Giudecca island. Lemsalu, known for combining performance and ceramic sculptures, will involve musicians and invite viewers into a "real and fairy-tale fantasy world." Lithuania will present "Sun and Sea," a choral performance organized by the Nida Art Colony, a residency program on the Curonian Spit. The piece features artists singing and sunbathing on an indoor beach, with the audience watching from above. Charlotte Prodger, a Turner Prize 2018 finalist, will represent Scotland with a video work exploring "queer wilderness" and the fluid boundaries of gender and geography. Prodger's practice combines video, sound, writing, and sculpture. These announcements highlight the absence of Italy, the host nation, which has yet to name its curator or artists for the Arsenale pavilion.