Best of the Biennale

Ed Connolly at the Venice Biennale 2024

The Venice Biennale is an international art festival held every two years. Countries have pavillions that can feature the works of solo or multiple contemporary artists in various mediums across the Giardini and the Arsenale, with additional national pavilions throughout Venice.

The 2024 theme was ‘Foreigners Everywhere’, (which at first sounds like a Laurence Fox tweet) focussed on themes of global movement and identities. Over 87 countries participated with 4 new attendees: Ethiopia, the Republic of Benin, the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

I think I made it to 30 of the pavilions over the weekend, and my 4 highlights were:

Overall Favourite: Panama Traces: On the Body and on the Land

This beautiful series of 4 artists' work was spread across an old glassworks. This was my fav for 3 reasons:

1. Instant Impact The narrative and impact of the art was immediate. On an aesthetic level, the vast wall hanging of Cisco Merel or the immersive sound and statue chamber by Isabel De Obaldía have an impact the moment you walk in with no need to read labels or guides.

2. Authentic New Work The Biennale is an international forum to highlight new art, new expressions and new work. All four artists used different media to tell the story of the indigenous peoples of Panama.

3. Materials over Subject I love materiality. Quite often artists respond to a concept or stimulus with similar narratives (there’s only so many ways to interpret ‘Foreigners Everywhere), but the physical manifestation of that narrative can be astounding. In this exhibition was glasswork, soundscapes, earthworks, paint and collage.
   

Cisco Merel

Ana Elizabeth González

Jeffrey Gibson

Best Artworks - United States of America The Space in which to Place Me

I think this one made many people’s top picks, because it was such a vibrant and joyful celebration of identity. This varied media gallery featured sculpture, 2D, video and audio art, but carefully separated so it wasn’t a cacophony. 

Artist Jeffrey Gibson is from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, drawing on their heritage and lived experience to express the struggles and celebrations of the indigenous people of North America. This great little exhibit ended on a fantastic video wall art that got you dancing.

Favourite Installation - France

This wasn’t perhaps the most original of concepts, looking at the idea of foreign objects in the oceans, but was done very well. Ceiling mounted sculptures like kelp or ocean waste hang down and beyond them video art created a vast faux oceanscape in a small(ish) space. Some of the Bienalle spaces are sublime (such as the Scandinavian or Korea) so I always resonate when a curator manages to make a white box type space become immersive, so bravo to Céline Kopp and Cindy Sissokho.

Most Memorable - Japan Compose

Compose, Japan Pavillion

I LOVED this. Proper old school, slightly gross, made-you-stop-made-you-stare, contemporary creativity. The display emulated temporal events like floods and the changing state of organic matter, the audience was encouraged to think what is our role in a world going through crisis. 

A bit like the French Pavilion, I think this did a great job of being engaging and striking within a white box space

A real stand out was the digital access aspect of the Festival. Art festivals like this are tricky to navigate, especially in the dreamlike maze of Venice, plus with sustainability aspirations to reduce waste, paper maps really aren’t the solution. Bloomberg Connects to the rescue. This app seamlessly works as a guide, visit plan, catalogue and second screen info. The partnership here really elevated the Biennale experience, including accessibility functionality that is just impossible in the intimate yet sometimes impractical spaces of the festival.

This isn’t a bespoke platform for the Biennale but expertly curated to elevate the in person experience - I absolutely recommend downloading the app for any visits, they have over 400 orgs on there.

So with that my final thoughts: Great Biennale, well attended and some excellent responses to a global discourse. Excellent digital partnership with Bloomberg that heightened the whole experience. If you can get, fit in a visit (even a day is enough to do a lot!) and I am looking forward to 2026.