Mark Manders to Represent Netherlands at Venice Biennale with Works Spanning 23 Years

Mark Manders will represent the Netherlands at the Venice Biennale, presenting a combination of new and older works spanning 23 years in the Dutch Pavilion located in the Giardini. The artist approaches this exhibition as he would a normal museum show, considering it equally significant. Manders creates his exhibitions primarily for himself and an abstract single visitor, deliberately avoiding political interpretations of national representation. He will also display one piece in a Venetian supermarket, continuing a practice he has maintained since 1991 of testing finished works in supermarket environments to see if they can exist without being labeled as art. Manders previously exhibited at the Biennale in 1993 and 2001, recalling a dramatic 2001 incident when the Arsenale flooded during preparations, during which curator Harald Szeemann remained calm. The artist looks forward to seeing the Italian pavilion and the Arsenale, expressing confidence in curator Massimiliano Gioni's abilities. ArtReview is publishing daily questionnaire responses from artists in national pavilions throughout May leading up to the Biennale opening.