Three standout national pavilions at the 2022 Venice Biennale's Arsenale
At the 2022 Venice Biennale, the Latvian Pavilion showcases 'Selling Water by the River', an installation featuring surreal painted porcelain sculptures created by Ingūna Skuja and Melissa D. Braden. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Pavilion presents Yuki Kihara's 'Paradise Camp', which examines Paul Gauguin's Tahiti artworks through the lens of the Fa'afafine community, incorporating elements such as the 2018 talk show 'First Impressions: Paul Gauguin' and a photographic series from 2020. Additionally, Malta's contribution, 'Diplomazija Astuta', crafted by Arcangelo Sassolino, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, and Brian Schembri, offers a reinterpretation of Caravaggio's 1608 piece 'The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist' using molten steel and water, fostering a meditative atmosphere. Kihara's work tackles themes of Pacific colonialism, gender identity, and the climate crisis.
Key facts
- The 2022 Venice Biennale includes national pavilions in the Arsenale.
- Skuja Braden (Ingūna Skuja and Melissa D. Braden) created 'Selling Water by the River' for the Latvian Pavilion.
- Yuki Kihara's 'Paradise Camp' represents New Zealand, featuring the talk show 'First Impressions: Paul Gauguin' from 2018.
- Malta's pavilion 'Diplomazija Astuta' is a collaboration between Arcangelo Sassolino, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, and Brian Schembri.
- The Maltese installation reworks Caravaggio's 'The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist' from 1608.
- Kihara's work involves members of Sāmoa's Fa'afafine community, a third gender or nonbinary group.
- The Latvian installation includes porcelain sculptures depicting body parts, genitals, and eyes in domestic settings.
- Molten steel droplets fall into water pools in the Maltese pavilion, synchronized to a musical score.
Entities
Artists
- Skuja Braden
- Ingūna Skuja
- Melissa D. Braden
- Yuki Kihara
- Arcangelo Sassolino
- Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci
- Brian Schembri
- Paul Gauguin
- Judy Chicago
- Miriam Schapiro
- Caravaggio
- Anastasia Fantasia Vancouver Stanley
- Queen Hera
- Dora
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- Latvian Pavilion
- New Zealand Pavilion
- Malta Pavilion
- Oratory of St. John's Co-Cathedral
- ARTreview
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Arsenale
- Valletta
- Malta
- Sāmoa
- Tahiti
- France