Personal Structures - Beyond Boundaries
7th Edition

“Delving into the challenges of global migration and the intricate web of national identities, Personal Structures emerges as a vital artistic dialogue, transcending borders and reflecting the complexities of our interconnected world.” This was how Sara Danieli, Head of Art at ECC Italy, described the seventh edition of Personal Structures. The biennial art exhibition, organised by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) in Venice, welcomed visitors from the 20th of April until the 24th of November, 2024, in the historical venues of Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora and Marinaressa Gardens.

Considering the complex dynamics of our global society, Beyond Boundaries was chosen as the guiding title for Personal Structures 2024. The collective show presented itself not only as an exhibition, but also as a journey that crossed multiple boundaries – geographic, political, religious, cultural and artistic. While some physical and conceptual limits could mean comfort and safety – our bodies, the walls of our homes, the lines on the road – the exhibition aimed to shift these constraints, to investigate what is beyond to see it from a different point of view.

By bringing together more than 200 artists and multidisciplinary creatives from 51 different countries, Personal Structures sought to provide a rich tapestry of perspectives on the pressing challenges of our time. The protagonists of 2024’s group show were renowned as well as emerging international multimedia artists, photographers, sculptors, and performers, along with art and academic institutions and galleries, who articulated their visions, reflections, and responses to the multifaceted aspects of society at the time.

Dates

from 20 April
to 24 November 2024

Venues

Palazzo Mora
Palazzo Bembo
Marinaressa Gardens

Participants

Palazzo Mora

Abu Dhabi Festival and New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE; Achim Großmann & Silvia Eisele, DEU; Alakananda Mukerji, USA; Alf Setzer, DEU; Alois Lindenbauer, AUT; Anamaría Gutiérrez de Piñeres, COL; Anamaria Chediak, ECU; Anat Heifetz, ISR; Annette Golden, AUS; Areez Katki, NZL/IND; Arika Von Edler & Rachel Alexandrou, USA; A.Z., USA; Bibi Smit, NLD; Brian J. Mac, USA; Blurring the Lines, FRA; Caitlin Devoy, NZL; Calin Topa, ROU; Camille Hannah, AUS; Carole Kohler, CHE; Catherine Coady, AUS; Chang-ming Shen, TWN; Chien-hua Huang, GBR; Christoph Stückelberger, CHE; Christopher Sperandio, Rice University & Sergio Soave, Ohio State University, USA; Clare McCracken and Pia Johnson, RMIT University, AUS; Cristina Parreño Alonso, USA; Daniel Pešta, CZE; Deakin University, AUS; Deep Space Gallery, USA; Denise Pelletier, USA; DF Art Agency, PHL; DTR Modern Galleries, USA; Elaine Foster-Gandey, GBR; Elka Leonard, FRA; Emily Young, ITA; Erin Genia, USA; Ernestine Faux, IDN/AUT; Femina e Mare Nostrum, FRA; Fiebre Photobook, ESP; Foreigners in their Homeland (Palestine Museum US), USA; Francisco Souto, USA; Fridriks x Kalab, CHE; Forwart Gallery, BEL; Gabriel Schmitz, ESP; Gail Olding, GBR; Gigi, BEL; Günther Haußmann, DEU; Hermann Nitsch, AUT; Hyun-Kyung Kim, KOR; Isaac Sullivan, UAE; Izumi Ashizawa, JPN / USA; James McLeod, USA; Jill Bayor, USA; Jim Nickel, USA; Jing Zhu, CAN; John Petschinger, AUT; Judith Unger, USA; Kai-Hsing Huang, TWN; Karen Silve, USA; Kazz Morishita, JPN; Kii, JPN; Kostis Georgiou, GRC; Laura Larocca, ESP; Luiz Zanotello, BRA; Man Fung-yi, CHN; Manuel Bonfanti, ITA; Marcelo Ferreira, USA; Maria Greenshields-Ziman, USA; Marie Bergstedt, USA; Marie Hines Cowan, USA; Marika Orenius, FIN; Michelangelo Brancato, ITA; Miles Greenberg, USA; Mizuho Nishioka, NZL; MNB Arts and Culture, HUN; Nikola Vudrag, HRV; Nina Freedman, USA; Nong Li, TWN; Orry Shenjobi, GBR; PALA II – Judy Ally & Ryan Chetty (Extension of the Seychelles Pavilion), SYC; Pamela Jean Calore, USA; Patricia Toro, CHL; Patrizia Casagranda, DEU/NLD/IND; Paul Francis Ygartua, CAN; Pavel Ba?ka, CZE; Per Hess, NOR; Peter Bracke, BEL; Princeton University, UCHV Research Film Studio,USA; Rachael Mellors, GBR; Raffy Napay, PHL; Richard Wearn, USA; Robert Jahnke, NZL; Rochester Institute of Technology, USA; Sara Pathirane, FIN; Simone Boon, NLD; Soledad Lowe, USA; Sonal Ambani, IND; Sophie Muret, FRA; South Trip Gallery, CHL; Studio Frischherz, CHE; Suly B. Wolff; Tatjana Kostanjevi?, HRV; Teo Chai Guan, SGP; The Lovers, AUS; Tong Zhang, USA; USC Gayle Garner Roski School of Art and Design, USA; Viel Bjerkeset Andersen, NOR; Wo Schiffman, USA; Wu Dengyi Art Museum, CHN; Yao Jui-chung, TWN; Yiwei Gallery, CHN/USA; Young-il Kim, KOR; Zayed University, Limass Design Research Unit, UAE.

Palazzo Bembo

Adriana Torres Sanchez, USA; Artists In Residence In Everglades (airie) & We Oppose Violence Everywhere Now (woven), USA; Aku Menditeguy, ARG; America. Land of Dreams (MIA Curatorial Project), USA; Andrey Kozakov, USA; Anna Pelc, POL; Anna Thurber, USA; Annie Kammerer Butrus, USA; Arts Connection Foundation, USA; Boise State University, USA/NZL; Chen Mei-Tsen, FRA; Concept2048, AND; Coral Contemporary Gallery, USA; Corrina Sephora, USA; Daniel Ibbotson, GBR; David Gericke, DEU; David Middlebrook, USA; Deepa Khanna Sobti, SGP; Destinee Ross-Sutton, USA/SWE; Edward Bekkerman, USA; EL LABORATORIO – Arte con Sentido, COL; Elizabeth Heyert, USA; Faiza Butt, GBR; Foreign Territory, USA/ LTU; Fridriks x Kalab, CHE; Gabriel Fine Arts, GBR; Galerie Leo et Co, FRA; George Rodrigue, USA; Grace Kisa, USA; Hunt Slonem, USA; Jarek Puczel, POL; John Douglas Powers, USA; Joshibi University of Art and Design, JPN; Justin Kimball, USA; Kaoru Shibuta, JPN; Karima Al Shomely, UAE; Katerina Kovaleva, RUS; Knowhere Art Gallery, USA; Laurette Succar, FRA; Lincoln Townley, GBR; Marusya, ESP; Mitchell van Dis, NLD; Murielle Argoud, CHE; Per Lunde Jørgensen, DNK; Peter Day, AUS; Rene Rietmeyer, NLD; RrOMA LEPANTO (Kaidikhas Stiftung), DEU; Sabine Pierick, DEU; Sabre Esler, USA; Sandra Cattaneo Adorno, ITA; Silvie Mahdal, CZE; Sonja VishnudArt, CHE/BEL; Tilney Hardiment, GBR; Tim David Trillsam, DEU; TomMcIntyre, GBR; Vanesa Wallet Hardi, FRA; Vasily Klyukin, FRA; Virginia Bradley, USA; Women’s LIVE Artist Studio, USA; Yilan County Government, Taiwan, TWN.

Marinaressa Gardens

Alexander Polzin, DEU; Asmer Sultanova Topçu, TUR; Beate Schroedl-Baurmeister, DEU; Cj Hendry, USA; Coral Contemporary Gallery, USA; Edwin Hamilton, USA; Emily Young, ITA; Gottfried Kumpf, AUT; Jaroslav Róna, CZE; Jeremy Chen, USA; John Ruppert, USA; Kostis Georgiou, GRC; Lauren Baker, GBR; Miriam Lenk, DEU; Monument, AUS; Naja Utzon Popov, DNK; Olga Lomaka, GBR; Paresh Maity, IND; Pavel Miguel, DEU; Sonja VishnudArt, CHE/BEL; Stan Bitters, USA; Studio Micky Hoogendijk, NLD; Tilmann Krumrey, DEU; Tone Fink, AUT; Yoko Ono, USA.

Useful Links

Catalogue

Curious to learn more about Personal Structures and the artists involved? Explore the 2024 Digital Catalogue for an in-depth overview.

Download

Special Projects

Arena for a Tree
by Klaus Littmann

Exhibited outside Arsenale Nord was Arena for a Tree, a site-specific project by Klaus Littmann created with the support of Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger and in partnership with ECC Italy. The walk-in art intervention delivered a strong message about global warming and hoped for a sustainable future by presenting three isolated trees at the centre of a 12-metre diameter amphitheatre. Placed in one of Venice’s most iconic locations and surrounded by water and architecture, it was set out to explore themes of migration and identity.

The long-term touring project was an evolution of FOR FOREST: The Unending Attraction of Nature, Austria‘s largest public art installation, where 299 trees were placed on the football field of the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt in 2019. Like a seed of that colossal project, Arena for a Tree wandered from place to place, telling the story of different trees and their impact on the environment.

The arena is now in the Enea Tree Museum, set within a stunning 75,000 square metre park near Lake Zurich, Switzerland, where it is now located.

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Fiebre Photobook

The European Cultural Centre renewed, for the third consecutive year, its collaboration with Fiebre Photobook, the first and only festival in Spain specialised in photobooks, established to enhance attention on editorial initiatives and publications that focus on photography. After taking part in the jury for the Dummy Award the previous year, ECC hosted a presentation of some of the photobooks featured in past editions of the Festival. In addition to the presentation at Personal Structures 2024, ECC joined the festival that autumn with a special presentation of photographic publications.

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Blurring the Lines

Blurring the Lines is a non-profit organisation that seeks to promote and encourage initiatives across various fields of photography and education, contributing to academic, local, and global dialogues, and enabling young graduates to gain international recognition. Since 2018, ECC has been a partner of this initiative through exhibitions, conferences, awards, and events.

As part of the Personal Structures 2024 exhibition, ECC presented a photography project by Vanessa Cowling, one of the winners of the 2023 Blurring the Lines award.

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PALA II – Seychelles

A Nation of Many – Emanating from Everywhere, Ryan Chetty
A Nation of Many – Emanating from Everywhere, expresses the artist’s gratitude for life’s bounties at a time when many take such things for granted and turn a blind eye to their privilege. The work also pays homage to the people – past and present – of the Seychelles, essentially a mix of cultures from three continents: Europe, Africa and Asia. The work combines video, structures and sound and is essentially interactive in nature.

Through the Windows, Jude Ally
Through the Windows features the artist’s signature expressionist style of image making, with his established, highly charged gestural works. Ally’s work incorporates video material shot in his native Seychelles as well as sculptural forms which dictate a new geometry for the space they occupy. Collectively, they explore the man and society paradox, exposing its priorities and engagements. The artist addresses the issue of inclusivity and, inevitably, the flip side – exclusion – not just of the disabled and socially disadvantaged, but also those who are misplaced, displaced and excluded as a consequence of the shifting tectonic plates of society.

European Cultural Academy

European Cultural Academy runs short training programmes in art and architecture. ECA offers courses for school teachers seeking to integrate art practices into their work.

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Videos

Discover the 7th edition of Personal Structures with a selection of insightful videos that bring the 2024 exhibition to life.

Watch on Youtube

Press Materials

Want to discover more about Personal Structures? Check out the exhibition Press Kit for press releases and images. For press inquiries and media accreditation, you can contact us at press@ecc-italy.eu.

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Virtual Tours

Step inside Personal Structures – Beyond Boundaries and explore Venice’s iconic venues from wherever you are, thanks to our immersive virtual tours. Palazzo Mora, Palazzo Bembo, and Marinaressa Gardens await you!

↳ Palazzo Mora

↳ Palazzo Bembo

↳ Marinaressa Gardens – Ponente

↳ Marinaressa Gardens – Levante