Marysia Lewandowska's 'It's About Time' Reimagines Venice Biennale History Through Feminist Archives
In 2019, artist Marysia Lewandowska unveiled 'It's About Time' ('Era ora!') as a Special Project at the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, under the curation of Ralph Rugoff. This initiative investigates the historical exclusion of women from art institutions, using the Biennale's inception as a focal point. Lewandowska examined archival materials, particularly meeting notes from Mayor Riccardo Selvatico (1893-1895). Partnering with nine Italian female artists, they reinterpreted the Biennale's origins, culminating in a 20-minute audio piece and edited video. The immersive installation, crafted by Studio Abroad architects, featured a dual enclave structure. Lewandowska's work merges historical inquiry with fiction, challenging the authority of archives and highlighting the absence of female leadership in the Biennale's framework.
Key facts
- Marysia Lewandowska's 'It's About Time' was presented at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019
- The project examines the absence of women from the Biennale's founding history
- Lewandowska collaborated with nine Italian women practitioners to reimagine the institution's origins
- Archival research included documents from the Biennale, V&A Museum, City of Venice Archive, and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa
- The installation featured a double enclave structure designed by Studio Abroad architects Georges Massoud and Summer Islam
- A 20-minute sound recording presents Italian female voices planning a fictional first Biennale edition
- The project specifically references Venetian cultural figure Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa and her handwritten will
- Lewandowska describes her method as 'unfixing' archives through combination of historical research and fiction
Entities
Artists
- Marysia Lewandowska
- Cristina Baldacci
- L. Cavorsi
- G. Damiani
- V. Facchin
- A. Ongaro
- C. Pierleoni
- F. Pitrolo
- C. Ricci
- S. Tanzini
- F. Tarocco
- Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa
- Riccardo Selvatico
- Ralph Rugoff
- Georges Massoud
- Summer Islam
- Xavier Ribas
- N. Cummings
Institutions
- La Biennale di Venezia
- V&A Museum
- City of Venice Archive
- Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa
- Venetian Archivio di Stato
- Studio Abroad
- ARTMargins Online
- Pavilion of Applied Arts
- Sale d'Armi
- Arsenale
- International Art Exhibition
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- London
- United Kingdom
Sources
- ARTMargins —
- ARTMargins —