Ralph Rugoff's 2019 Venice Biennale: First Impressions and Key Themes

The 2019 Venice Biennale, curated by Ralph Rugoff, has just opened, presenting a dense exhibition with fewer artists than usual but each contributing multiple works, effectively doubling the number of pieces. The show tackles contemporary issues such as race, racism, sustainability, migration, labor, poverty, and existential conditions, with artists generally succeeding in addressing these themes without becoming clichéd or pedantic. Notable video works by Stan Douglas, Christian Marclay, Ian Cheng, Arthur Jafa, Jon Rafman, and Ryoji Ikeda are highlights. Painting is also prominent, with strong contributions from Henry Taylor, Nicole Eisenman, and Michael Armitage. The installation design is fluid, with artists' works interwoven across spaces, symbolizing ongoing dialogue. In the Arsenale, temporary wooden walls replace drywall, adding identity and elegance to the high-density exhibition. A robotic work by Sun Yang and Peng Yu in the Central Pavilion serves as a metaphor for the artist's role: aware of global crises, attempting to remedy them despite futility, while still performing for the public. The article, by Massimiliano Tonelli, offers initial impressions and promises deeper analysis in the coming days.