Giardini Postnational: Germany and France Swap Pavilions at Venice Biennale

At the 2013 Venice Biennale (June 1–November 24), the German and French pavilions swapped buildings in a symbolic exchange questioning the relevance of national pavilions in a globalized era. Germany invited four artists—Ai Weiwei, Santu Mofokeng, Dayanita Singh, and Romuald Karmakar—three of whom are foreign to German culture. Ai Weiwei's rhizomatic sculpture made from antique stools dominated the space. The French pavilion featured Anri Sala's cinematic polyptych centered on Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, performed by Louis Lortie and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet with the Orchestre National de France conducted by Didier Benetti. Sala's work includes a DJ named Chloé remixing interpretations. The exchange echoes Santiago Sierra's 2003 action of walling off the Spanish pavilion to Spanish ID holders. Critic Erik Verhagen finds Sala's piece sophisticated but affected, missing the supposed resonances with the German pavilion's history.