Iraq Pavilion at 2017 Venice Biennale to Feature Francis Alÿs and Ancient Artefacts

For the 2017 Venice Biennale, the Ruya Foundation has appointed curators Tamara Chalabi and Paolo Colombo to oversee the Iraq Pavilion. Titled 'Archaic,' the exhibit will feature eight contemporary Iraqi artists alongside 40 historical artifacts from the Iraq Museum, spanning six millennia from the Neolithic Age to the Neo-Babylonian Period. Most artifacts have stayed in Iraq, with only a handful retrieved after the 2003 looting. Francis Alÿs will present a new piece inspired by his time on the Mosul front line, reflecting on conflict. Set in Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, Chalabi and Colombo see Venice as an ‘non place’ that offers a vital platform for countries like Iraq, which often lack commercial visibility. Artists expected to join include Mark Bradshaw, Phyllida Barlow, Takahiro Iwasaki, Erwin Wurm, and Frank Walter.