Yael Bartana and Ersan Mondtag Transform German Pavilion at Venice Biennale
At the 2024 Venice Biennale, the German Pavilion, overseen by curators Yael Bartana and Ersan Mondtag, showcases an installation that explores themes of migration, industrialization, and collective memory. Bartana presents 'Light to the Nations,' featuring a model spaceship called 'Generation Ship' and a video titled 'Farewell,' which illustrates a pagan ceremony with spheres aligned according to the ten Sefirot of Kabbalah. Meanwhile, Mondtag's 'Monument eines unbekannten Menschen' integrates performance, video, sculpture, music, and ritual, drawing inspiration from Bertolt Brecht's poem about the anonymous worker. It tells the haunting tale of a family in West Berlin during the 1960s and 1970s, centered on Hasan Aygün, a Turkish immigrant who succumbed to lung cancer linked to asbestos. The installation contemplates the cycle of death and rebirth of the European dream, highlighted by Turkish musical elements.
Key facts
- The German Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale features works by Yael Bartana and Ersan Mondtag.
- Bartana's 'Light to the Nations' includes a model spaceship and the video 'Farewell'.
- The spaceship's spheres are arranged according to the ten Sefirot of the Kabbalah.
- Mondtag's 'Monument eines unbekannten Menschen' is inspired by Bertolt Brecht's poem.
- The installation tells the story of Mondtag's grandfather, Hasan Aygün, who worked for Eternit.
- Eternit's asbestos caused Aygün's death from lung cancer.
- The work references the TV series 'Dark' by Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese.
- The pavilion explores themes of migration, industrialization, and the European dream.
Entities
Artists
- Yael Bartana
- Ersan Mondtag
- Bertolt Brecht
- Hasan Aygün
- Baran Bo Odar
- Jantje Friese
Institutions
- German Pavilion
- Venice Biennale
- Eternit
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Berlin
- Germany
- Ankara
- Turkey
- Winden