Tomo Savić-Gecan's AI-Driven Performances Redefine Croatian Pavilion at 59th Venice Biennale
During the 59th Venice Biennale, Croatian artist Tomo Savić-Gecan showcases Untitled (Croatian Pavilion) (2022) while deliberately steering clear of the Croatian Pavilion itself. Four times daily, five performers enact AI-generated directives inspired by a leading global news story, moving unpredictably among pavilions. This subtle choreography offers viewers an experience that often goes unnoticed. Curator Elena Filipovic interprets the work as a reflection on how technology shapes behavior and the intricate ties between news, authority, and national identity in an era defined by post-truth. Since the mid-1990s, Savić-Gecan has utilized conceptual methods and temporary interventions, frequently eschewing documentation, as evidenced by his 2018 project involving air transported from Amsterdam to CERN.
Key facts
- Tomo Savić-Gecan represents Croatia at the 59th Venice Biennale with Untitled (Croatian Pavilion) (2022)
- Performances occur four times daily across various pavilions, not in the Croatian Pavilion
- An AI algorithm directs five performers based on global news headlines
- Curator Elena Filipovic interprets the work as commentary on technology and post-truth news
- Savić-Gecan's practice began in the mid-1990s after studying in Milan
- His 2005 work connected Amsterdam visitor numbers to a Tallinn swimming pool temperature
- A 2018 project involved transforming Amsterdam gallery air into antimatter at CERN in Geneva
- He avoids documenting works, preferring descriptive texts over images
Entities
Artists
- Tomo Savić-Gecan
- Elena Filipovic
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- Croatian Pavilion
- ArtReview
- European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN)
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Croatia
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Tallinn
- Estonia
- Milan
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Slovenia
- Ljubljana
- Cleveland
- United States
- Austin
- Texas
- Brooklyn
- Geneva
- Switzerland