Kenneth Goldsmith Recreates Oval Office in Venice Supermarket
At the Despar Teatro Italia in Venice, a former cinema repurposed as a supermarket, Kenneth Goldsmith presents a solo exhibition focused on the 2009 scandal involving Hillary Clinton's emails. The exhibit showcases a large paper parallelepiped made from a sculptural heap of printed emails, alongside a reading area equipped with tables and lamps for guests to peruse the emails. The minimalist decor, featuring carpets, tables, and flags, resembles a lo-fi interpretation of the Oval Office. A list of artists, including those from Ubu Web—founded by Goldsmith in 1996—adorns the supermarket shelves. Above the deli counter, a massive screen displays rotating video works by various artists, available for viewing daily from 6 to 7 PM, with new content each week. The exhibition debuted in May 2019 during the Venice Biennale.
Key facts
- Kenneth Goldsmith's solo exhibition is held at Despar Teatro Italia in Venice, a former cinema turned supermarket.
- The exhibition focuses on Hillary Clinton's emails from the 2009 scandal.
- The installation includes a sculptural pile of printed emails forming a large paper parallelepiped.
- A reading area with tables and lamps allows visitors to read the emails.
- Carpets, tables, and flags evoke a minimalist, lo-fi version of the Oval Office.
- A list of artists' names is printed on supermarket shelves, referencing Ubu Web artists.
- A giant screen above the deli counter shows video works by artists including Alex Da Corte, Cheryl Donegan, Lev Manovich, People Like Us, Leah Singer, Stan VanDerBeek, and Jordan Wolfson.
- The video program runs daily from 6 to 7 PM and changes weekly.
Entities
Artists
- Kenneth Goldsmith
- Alex Da Corte
- Cheryl Donegan
- Lev Manovich
- People Like Us
- Leah Singer
- Stan VanDerBeek
- Jordan Wolfson
Institutions
- Despar Teatro Italia
- Ubu Web
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Italy