Vincent Meessen leads Belgian Pavilion with group exhibition challenging national representation at 2015 Venice Biennale
At the 2015 Venice Biennale, Vincent Meessen showcases 'Personne et les autres: Vincent Meessen and guests' in the Belgian Pavilion. Partnering with curator Katerina Gregos, he includes ten guest artists from four continents, marking a historic first for African artists. The exhibition explores the effects of colonial modernity through the lens of Europe-Africa interactions. Featured in Meessen's work is a three-channel video installation titled 'One.Two.Three', influenced by a protest song from May 1968. Representing the French-speaking Federation Wallonia-Brussels, the Belgian Pavilion prioritizes internationalism over identity politics and aims to engage a wide audience, offering a freely available booklet. Meessen also reflects on Belgium's Biennale participation since 1907, noting the disparity between Venice's funding and local support. ArtReview published the online exclusive on 6 May 2015.
Key facts
- Vincent Meessen represents Belgium at the 2015 Venice Biennale with a group exhibition
- The exhibition 'Personne et les autres' includes ten guest artists from four continents
- This is the first time the Belgian Pavilion features artists from Africa
- Meessen's work 'One.Two.Three' is a three-channel video installation revisiting Congolese intellectuals in the Situationist International
- The exhibition explores colonial modernity and interactions between Europe and Africa
- Meessen collaborated with curator Katerina Gregos and producer Vincent Kenis
- The Belgian Pavilion is located in the Giardini and was the first foreign pavilion built there in 1907
- The online exclusive was published on 6 May 2015 by ArtReview
Entities
Artists
- Vincent Meessen
- Mathieu K. Abonnenc
- Sammy Baloji
- James Beckett
- Elisabetta Benassi
- Patrick Bernier
- Olive Martin
- Tamar Guimarães
- Kasper Akhøj
- Maryam Jafri
- Adam Pendleton
- Guy Debord
- Joseph M'Belolo Ya M'Piku
- Franco Luambo
- Ed Ruscha
- Stan Douglas
- Joan Jonas
- Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnenc
- Raoul Vaneigem
- Franco Luabo
- Victor Schoelcher
- Sidney Mintz
- Michael Werner
- Bénédicte Zimmermann
- Sebastian Conrad
- Shalini Randeria
Institutions
- ArtReview
- Venice Biennale
- Belgian Pavilion
- BPS22
- Situationist International
- Federation Wallonia-Brussels
- OK Jazz
- Un Deux Trois club
- ok Jazz orchestra
- Getty
- Musée Royal D'Afrique Centrale
- Belgian Colonial Secret Service
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Giardini
- Charleroi
- Belgium
- Kinshasa
- Congo
- Africa
- Europe
- Armenia
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Cayenne
- French Guiana
- France
- Niger