Photography Takes a Back Seat at the 57th Venice Biennale

At the 57th Venice Biennale, photography plays a diminished role compared to previous editions, with few national pavilions featuring photographic exhibitions and limited space in Christine Macel's international show. Despite this, notable presentations include Dirk Braeckman's black-and-white analog works at the Belgian Pavilion, which draw comparisons to Craigie Horsfield's 1980s work but differ in approach. The Ukrainian Pavilion presents Boris Mikhailov's ongoing project 'Parlamento' (2014–), examining photography's relationship with media and the 'post-truth' society. Tracey Moffatt's 'My Horizon' at the Australian Pavilion features two photo series and two videos addressing migration, blending history and fiction. Tehching Hsieh's early, previously unseen works at the Taiwan Pavilion document his existential and bodily resistance through photography. The pavilion is curated by Adrian Heathfield.