Vadim Zakharov Discusses Russia's Venice Biennale Pavilion and Universal Approach

Vadim Zakharov represents Russia at the Venice Biennale, with his national pavilion located in the Giardini. He describes the Biennale as a complex format, requiring a year of difficult work to condense three decades of artistic experience into a single project. Zakharov emphasizes creating a conceptual ornament immediately visible to viewers, avoiding explicit national symbols like Russian dolls or vodka. His approach is universal, addressing all audiences without exclusions, and reflecting the Russian intelligentsia's characteristic universal view of culture. The project raises questions about Russia and other countries, including unpleasant ones. Zakharov's earliest Biennale memory is Hans Haacke's 1993 installation Germania at the German pavilion. He looks forward to exploring Massimiliano Gioni's The Encyclopedic Palace exhibition, which aligns with his archival interests. ArtReview published his questionnaire responses as part of a series featuring artists from various national pavilions.