![]() They know how to entertain, have fun, subvert the dominant order (or, to quote the curator “discern the ways in which ‘order’ has become the simultaneous presence of diverse orders”) and, above all, interpret the urgencies of this world using the tools currently available. This, too, is a sign of faith in our interesting-although still propitious-times, which are giving birth to refined and responsive minds. Or, again, Augustas Serapinas, who spreads observatory structures throughout the exhibition in order to offer “alternative points of view”. From the most renowned ones, like Neil Beloufa and Haris Epaminonda, who wonderfully present their peculiar practices to the international public, to new faces, like the eclectic Martine Gutierrez, who faces modern social constructs with a provoking and elegant performance-photography in which she embodies contemporary clichés amid mannequins. ‘Body En Thrall from Indigenous Woman’, 2018, installation view at 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, ‘May You Live In Interesting Times’ // Photo by Italo Rondinella, courtesy of La Biennale di VeneziaĬourage, determination and trust in the younger generation is integral to this project. This is a choice that expresses a strong conviction, as if to say: the artists do not only deserve a place in the Biennale, but two. Additionally, the same artists are exhibited both in the Central Pavilion and in the Arsenale. Having thus renounced the temptation of “all in”, Ralph Rugoff carefully selected a limited number of artists instead. It is a virtue and a sign of intelligence and courage. Moreover, when this is applied to such a colossal context as the Biennale, where the temptation to over-do is strong (given the enormous spaces and the possibility of drawing from basically anywhere in the world), selection becomes an important value. In a historical period in which the overabundance of images and possibilities of representation seem to saturate our brains to the point of compromising crucial skills, like critical judgment, the ability to choose and discern is fundamental. The first is the reduced selection of the participating artists in this year’s presentation, from the hundreds of artists showing on previous years, to only 79 this year. Two aspects stand as immediately striking and make this exhibition a mirror of contemporary art. If the purpose is to give a cross-section of the international artistic research of our age, then the curator succeeded, offering a selection of artists who see the function of art as “a mix of both pleasure and critical thinking”, involving a manifold group of media and topics. ![]() This seems to be the main (and positive) feature of the exhibition. Handiwirman Saputra: Various works, 2011-2019, installation view at 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, ‘May You Live In Interesting Times’ // Photo by Italo Rondinella, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
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