Culture: Mind: Becoming
Culture.Mind.Becoming, hosted in the hoistorical venue of Palazzo Mora, examined the interaction between Chinese culture and globalisation. Following the 19th-century Industrial Revolution and the rise of Western influence, Eastern artists began exploring Western aesthetics, leading to a search for new cultural and artistic identities.
By the mid-20th century, as postmodernism penetrated Eastern art, artists grappled with traditional and new ideologies. The exhibition highlighted how political and economic shifts after World War II inspired artistic experimentation and critique of social conditions.
With the advent of the internet and new technologies post-2000, artists focused on personal experience and cultural identity rather than historical narratives. The show featured Chinese artists who, influenced by Western culture, redefined Eastern traditions through innovative and self-assured artistic expressions.
The exhibition consists of three different but relevant curatorial concepts: Re-discover by independent curator Karlyn De Jongh from the Netherlands, Ingrandimento curated by Chinese notable independent curator Huang Du and Yang Shinyi, and Fang Lijun: A Cautionary Vision—an exhibition held at Palazzo Marcello and organized by Italian curator Danilo Eccher, director of Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAM) at Turin city in Italy.
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National Works
National Participation of Kuwait
La Biennale di Venezia Arte 2013
Under the general theme of “The Encyclopaedic Palace,” proposed by Massimiliano Gioni, the exhibition at Palazzo Michiel featured two major works by sculptor Sami Mohammad (b. 1943) and a new photographic series by Tarek Al-Ghoussein (b. 1962). Curated by Ala Younis, the exhibition, titled National Works, disassembled symbols of grandeur from paused or post-glorious times, aiming to re-interpret Kuwait’s modernisation project.
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Confronting Anitya
Collateral Event
La Biennale di Venezia Arte 2013
An exhibition exploring the Oriental experience in contemporary art was hosted at Palazzo Michiel.
Curators: Liang Kegang, Italo Furlan, Xu LiLi.
Exhibitors: Ding Wei, Fan Bo, Gao Weigang, Guo Gong, Guo Yan, Guan Jingjing, He Duoling, Jia Zhengyao, Kang Jianfei, Li Gang, Li Hongbo, Li Songhua, Li Yongzheng, Liang Kegang, Liang Shaoji, Liu Chuanbao, Ma Liang, Ren Zhitian, Shao Fan, Shao Yinong, Shi Jinsong, Tan Xun, Shi Hengbo, Xiao Yu, Xiao Xiao, Wang Huangsheng, Wei Qingji, Yang Ming, You Liangcheng, Yu Fan, Zhang Fan.
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Lawrence Weiner: The Grace of a Gesture
Collateral Event
La Biennale di Venezia Arte 2013
In 2013, The Grace of a Gesture, an artwork by Lawrence Weiner, was the centrepiece of an exhibition organised by the Written Art Foundation at Palazzo Bembo near the Rialto Bridge. The exhibition also included four additional works by Weiner, created for his 1991 show Displacement at the Dia Center for the Arts in New York.
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Thomas Zipp: Comparative Investigation about the Disposition of the Width of a Circle
Collateral Event
La Biennale di Venezia Arte 2013
In 2013, Berlin-based artist Thomas Zipp showcased his diverse practice at Palazzo Rossini. Known for his use of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and film, Zipp also employed collage and assemblage techniques, with a primary focus on installation works. His exhibitions typically feature large spatial presentations, integrating individual works like paintings, drawings, and photographs under a unifying theme.
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