Jakob Lena Knebl and Ashley Hans Scheirl to Represent Austria at 2021 Venice Biennale
Austria will be represented by Jakob Lena Knebl and Ashley Hans Scheirl at the 59th Venice Biennale, taking place from May to November 2021. Ulrike Lunacek, the Austrian Secretary of State for Cultural Affairs, characterized their Giardini pavilion project as "vivacious," incorporating a variety of mediums such as paintings, textiles, photographs, audio and video works, and holograms to create "spaces of desire." Knebl, a Baden native born in 1970, studied at the University of Applied Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, showcasing her work at MUMOK Vienna and currently at Galerie Kargl and Lentos Kunstmuseum. Scheirl, born in Salzburg in 1956, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and Central Saint Martins. Other nations announcing their pavilions include New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, and Finland. The Venice Biennale is led by Director of Visual Arts Cecilia Alemani and President Roberto Cicutto.
Key facts
- Jakob Lena Knebl and Ashley Hans Scheirl will represent Austria at the 2021 Venice Biennale.
- The Biennale runs from May to November 2021.
- Ulrike Lunacek called the project 'vivacious' with humor and satire.
- The installation includes paintings, textiles, photographs, objects, audio/video, and holograms.
- Knebl studied fashion with Raf Simons and sculpture with Heimo Zobernig.
- Knebl exhibited at MUMOK Vienna in 2017 and won the Outstanding Art Award.
- Scheirl studied at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and Central Saint Martins.
- Scheirl participated in documenta 14.
- The duo previously collaborated at the Lyon Biennale.
- They created a 70-meter-high work for Vienna's town hall tower in 2019.
- Other pavilions: New Zealand (Yuki Kihara), Australia (Marco Fusinato), Canada (Stan Douglas), Switzerland (Latifa Echakhch), France (Zineb Sedira), Finland (Pilvi Takala).
- Cecilia Alemani appointed Director of Visual Arts; Roberto Cicutto elected President of Venice Biennale.
Entities
Artists
- Jakob Lena Knebl
- Ashley Hans Scheirl
- Raf Simons
- Heimo Zobernig
- Yuki Kihara
- Marco Fusinato
- Stan Douglas
- Latifa Echakhch
- Zineb Sedira
- Pilvi Takala
- Cecilia Alemani
- Roberto Cicutto
Institutions
- Biennale di Venezia
- Padiglione Austria
- Artforum
- University of Applied Arts Vienna
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
- MUMOK Vienna
- Galerie Kargl Vienna
- Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz
- Central Saint Martins College London
- Kunstverein Salzburg
- Künstlerhaus Graz
- documenta 14
- Biennale di Lione
- Municipio di Vienna
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Venice
- Italy
- Baden
- Salzburg
- London
- United Kingdom
- Linz
- Graz
- Lyon
- France
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada
- Switzerland
- Finland