Gyula Várnai to Represent Hungary at 2017 Venice Biennale with 'Peace on Earth!' Exhibition

Gyula Várnai will represent Hungary at the 2017 Venice Biennale, presenting an exhibition titled 'Peace on Earth!' in the Hungarian Pavilion located in the Giardini. His project aims to reexamine past utopian ideals, such as world peace, and revive optimistic future visions. Várnai notes the Biennale's prestige offers a global platform, bringing a sense of responsibility due to its diverse audience. He highlights that Venice maintains a special status through its tradition of national representation, which continues to attract significant visitor numbers. The artist was selected via a democratic process in Hungary, involving a respected jury, and he feels a duty to present his best work. Várnai recalls his first visit to Venice in 1989 during his honeymoon, which included an unexpected Pink Floyd concert. He plans to see other pavilions, including those by Xavier Veilhan for France, Erwin Wurm for Austria, and Tracey Moffatt for Australia, as well as an exhibition at Palazzo Fortuny. The Biennale runs from 13 May to 26 November 2017, with ArtReview publishing daily questionnaire responses from participants in the lead-up.