The 58th International Art Exhibition of Venice Art Biennale has opened its doors to the public in Venice, Italy. This year's theme, titled "May You Live In Interesting Times", will highlight artworks whose forms function in part to call attention to what forms conceal and the multifarious purposes that they fulfil. 

More specifically, these artworks will serve "as a kind of guide for how to live and think in interesting times." Officially opened to the public on Saturday May 11, the exhibition will be on view until Sunday November 24, 2019, at the Giardini and the Arsenale. The exhibition is curated by Ralph Rugoff and organised by Venice Biennale chaired by Paolo Baratta. 

The Exhibition is divided into two separate presentations, Proposition A in the Arsenale and Proposition B in the Giardini’s Central Pavilion, comprising 79 artists from all over the world.

Curator Ralph Rugoff and Biennale President Paolo Baratta. Image © Andrea Avezzù, courtesy of Biennale Arte 2019

"From the acceleration of climate change to the resurgence of nationalist agendas across the globe, from the pervasive impact of social media to the growing disparity of wealth, contemporary matters of concern are addressed in many of the works in this exhibition," said Ralph Rugoff. "But let us acknowledge at the outset that art is more than a document of its times."

"May You Live In Interesting Times highlights artworks whose forms function in part to call attention to what forms conceal and the multifarious purposes that they fulfil. In an indirect manner, then, perhaps these artworks can serve as a kind of guide for how to live and think in ‘interesting times’. We can certainly learn from the way the artists in this Biennale challenge existing habits of thought and open up our readings of widely varied objects and pictures, scenarios and situations."

Arsenale. Image © Andrea Avezzù, courtesy of Biennale Arte 2019

"The title of this Exhibition could be interpreted as a sort of curse," President Paolo Baratta stated, "where the expression ‘interesting times’ evokes the idea of challenging or even ‘menacing’ times, but it could also simply be an invitation to always see and consider the course of human events in their complexity, an invitation, thus, that appears to be particularly important in times when, too often, oversimplification seems to prevail, generated by conformism or fear." 

"And I believe that an exhibition of art is worth our attention, first and foremost, if it intends to present us with art and artists as a decisive challenge to all oversimplifying attitudes."

Arsenale. Image © Giulio Squillacciotti, courtesy of Biennale Arte 2019

The Exhibition will also include 90 National Participations in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the city centre of Venice. Four countries will be participating for the first time at the Biennale Arte: Ghana, Madagascar, Malaysia and Pakistan. The Dominican Republic participates for the first time in Biennale Arte with its own national pavilion.

Collateral Events

21 Collateral Events, which are admitted by the Curator and promoted by non–profit national and international bodies and institutions, take place in several locations around the city of Venice. They offer a wide range of contributions and participations that enrich the diversity of voices that characterises the Exhibition.

You can see all the updated info and detailed information about the Art Biennale here.

Top image © Francesco Galli, courtesy of Biennale Arte 2019

> via Venice Art Biennale