Kazakhstan and Namibia pavilions face last-minute disruptions ahead of Venice Biennale opening

Ahead of this week's Venice Biennale, two national pavilions are encountering difficulties. The ORTA collective from Kazakhstan is experiencing delays with their installation, LAI-PI-CHU-PLEE-LAPA Centre for the New Genius, as trucks are stranded at the Georgian border, resulting in an almost empty pavilion. The artists aim to utilize locally sourced materials and anticipate finishing their work by mid-May. Meanwhile, Namibia's involvement is in jeopardy after protests from the art community prompted funders to withdraw support just a week prior to the event. The criticism centered on the pavilion's unidentified artist, thought to be a white South African sculptor. Consequently, main patron Monica Cembrola and Abercrombie and Kent have cut ties with the project, coordinated by Marco Furio Ferrario.