Pedro Neves Marques presents 'Vampires in Space' for Portugal at 59th Venice Biennale

Pedro Neves Marques will represent Portugal at the 59th Venice Biennale with a film installation titled 'Vampires in Space' at Palazzo Franchetti in San Marco. The exhibition features a three-screen film alongside poems and sculptural elements, exploring a family of vampires traveling through space to an exoplanetary Earth. Marques describes the work as addressing fiction, memory, non-binary and transgender experiences, mental health, isolation, and futurity through an intimate speculative narrative. The artist notes that film and writing form the core of his practice, with these elements engaging in dialogue within the show. Marques first visited the Venice Biennale as a student in 2005, recalling Mariko Mori's 'Wave Ufo'. He expresses excitement about Surrealism's presence in Venice and Cecilia Vicuña's career celebration. Regarding national representation, Marques believes art is both local and universal, with pavilions offering individual projects from artists worldwide. He emphasizes Portugal's strong moving image tradition while acknowledging global influences from Brazil and the United States, where he has lived. The Venice Biennale runs from April 23 to November 27, 2022.