The press conference of the Venice Art Biennale 2017 was held on February 6th, 2017 at Palazzo Ca’ Giustinian, headquarter of La Biennale di Venezia.
The 57th International Art Exhibition, titled VIVA ARTE VIVA and curated by Christine Macel, is organized by La Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta. The Exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday May 13th to Sunday November 26th 2017, at the Giardini and the Arsenale venues. The preview will take place on May 10th, 11th and 12th.
The Exhibition will include 120 invited artists from 51 different countries, 103 of them will be having their first Venetian experience; 85 National Participations in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the historic city centre of Venice. Four countries will be participating for the first time: Antigua and Barbuda, Kiribati, Nigeria, and Kazakhstan (for the first time with its own national pavilion). Also for this edition, selected Collateral Events are expected.
“Christine Macel has called it an Exhibition inspired by humanism. This type of humanism is neither focused on an artistic ideal to follow nor is it characterized by the celebration of mankind as beings who can dominate their surroundings. If anything, this humanism, through art, celebrates mankind’s ability to avoid being dominated by the powers governing world affairs. These powers, if left to their own devices, can greatly affect the human dimension, in a detrimental sense. In this type of humanism, the artistic act is contemporaneously an act of resistance, of liberation and of generosity” said Paolo Baratta.
Christine Macel declared: “Today, in a world full of conflicts and shocks, art bears witness to the most precious part of what makes us human. Art is the ultimate ground for reflection, individual expression, freedom, and for fundamental questions. Art is the last bastion, a garden to cultivate above and beyond trends and personal interests. It stands as an unequivocal alternative to individualism and indifference.”
Images courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
Discover: www.labiennale.org
