Italy's Venice Biennale pavilion showcases contemporary art through dualities in 2013 exhibition
Curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi, the 2013 Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale presented the exhibition Vice Versa, which featured fourteen works from seven artist pairs, including twelve newly created pieces. The exhibition was inspired by Giorgio Agamben's 1996 work Categorie Italiane, Studi di Poetica, with artists such as Francesco Arena, Fabio Mauri, and Luigi Ghirri. Noteworthy installations included La Voglia Matta by Maloberti and Untitled (My Gold Is Yours) by Golia. Criticism arose for the inclusion of late artists Mauri (1926–2009) and Ghirri (1943–1992). Pietromarchi's vision differed from the contentious 2011 pavilion curated by Vittorio Sgarbi, which sought to challenge art networks but faced backlash. Post-biennale, Pietromarchi might return to Rome's MACRO museum.
Key facts
- The 2013 Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale was curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi
- The exhibition Vice Versa featured seven artist pairs exploring complementary themes
- Twelve of the fourteen works presented were newly created for the biennale
- The conceptual framework referenced Giorgio Agamben's 1996 book Categorie Italiane, Studi di Poetica
- Deceased artists Fabio Mauri (1926–2009) and Luigi Ghirri (1943–1992) were included in the exhibition
- The 2011 Italian Pavilion was curated by Vittorio Sgarbi and widely criticized as a disaster
- Vittorio Sgarbi was appointed by culture minister Sandro Bondi under Silvio Berlusconi's government
- Bartolomeo Pietromarchi was previously director of Rome's MACRO museum of contemporary art
Entities
Artists
- Francesco Arena
- Fabio Mauri
- Luigi Ghirri
- Luca Vitone
- Massimo Bartolini
- Francesca Grilli
- Giulio Paolini
- Marco Tirelli
- Flavio Favelli
- Marcello Maloberti
- Gianfranco Baruchello
- Elisabetta Benassi
- Piero Golia
- Sislej Xhafa
- Giorgio Agamben
- Vittorio Sgarbi
- Bartolomeo Pietromarchi
- Sandro Bondi
- Silvio Berlusconi
- Hans Haacke
- Massimiliano Gioni
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- MACRO
- Forza Italia
- ArtReview
- Italian Pavilion
- MACRO (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma)
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Rome
- Salemi
- Sicily
- Arsenale
- Tese delle Vergini