Georgia and Armenia Present National Pavilions at 2017 Venice Biennale

At the 2017 Venice Biennale, the national pavilions of Georgia and Armenia explore themes of cultural resilience and historical trauma. Georgia's pavilion, curated by Vajiko Chachkhiani, features a reconstructed wooden cabin from Georgian forests installed at the Arsenale, with an irrigation system that creates continuous rain inside, gradually damaging the structure over the Biennale's duration. The work symbolizes the Georgian people's endurance through centuries of invasions and oppression. Armenia's pavilion, curated by Bruno Corà at Palazzo Zenobio, presents a solo exhibition by Jean Boghossian titled "Fiamma inestinguibile" (Inextinguishable Flame). Boghossian, born in Aleppo to an Armenian family and raised in Lebanon, uses fire and smoke as central elements, referencing historical book burnings and the Armenian Genocide. His monumental stelae rise from charred books, embodying culture's rebirth after destruction. Both pavilions emphasize the role of national identity and survival against adversity.