Jonathan Watkins Curates Iraq Pavilion at Venice Biennale with Focus on Resilience and Informal Setting

Jonathan Watkins is set to curate the Iraq Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, showcasing a collective exhibition of eleven Iraqi artists currently living in Iraq. This display will be hosted in the historic Ca’ Dandolo apartment along the Grand Canal in Venice. Rather than employing a traditional white-cube setup, the exhibition will blend art with the existing interior, creating a space where visitors can unwind, read, listen to music, and enjoy Iraqi tea. Watkins aims to engage the general public, while also appealing to fellow gallerists, curators, and critics. He acknowledges the challenges of representing a nation, as artists do not serve as official cultural ambassadors, but highlights their shared heritage and recent history. The pavilion aspires to showcase resilience in the face of adversity. Watkins first visited the Venice Biennale in 1993 and later curated a satellite exhibition at Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa in 1997, featuring artists like Graham Gussin, Pierre Huyghe, and Oleg Kulik. He is eager to explore the basilica on Torcello during the event. This information was part of ArtReview's daily series in May leading up to the biennale's launch.