THE VENICE BIENNALE, EXPLORED THROUGH A SERIES OF VIDEOS

words by ANOUK WOUDT

For its 61st edition, the International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale is titled Minor Keys, which was curated by Koyo Kouoh. The theme manifests through the joy and solace found in the dissonance, replacing the innate melancholy of a minor key with a grounding sound and sensation that resonates across the exhibition. Running from the 9th of May until the 22nd of November, the collection ranges throughout all types of creative mediums, encompassing cinema, architecture, dance, music, theatre, visual art and now, fashion.

image via @fondazionedriesvannoten

This year, contributions from Bottega Veneta and Dries Van Noten cement fashion’s rightful place in the art world, expressing their artisanship through exhibitions and cultural gatherings across the city. This year also marks a special edition for the Netherlands, considering it is the country’s first time being represented at the Biennale Arte with a performance, while also being the first time the Dutch Pavilion itself becomes an integral part of the artwork. Investigating these three exhibitions through another artistic format — video — we’re invited into a glimpse of each artist’s vision, allowing it to manifest in all of its kineticism.

The Only True Protest Is Beauty
DRIES VAN NOTEN

Immersing us into the exhibition titled The Only True Protest Is Beauty, we are walked through gilded halls decorated by perhaps even more gilded Dries Van Noten pieces. Located at Palazzo Pisani Moretta, the exhibition — curated by Dries Van Noten with Geert Bruloot — is an exploration of beauty through a constellation of diverse mediums that converge both in contrast and affinity. Craftsmanship is honoured, which is only enriched by the historic architecture that houses it. Creating a space for fashion to be displayed during the Biennale Arte allows the true artistry of these pieces to be recognised, introducing a new dimension to the traditional spheres that appear at the festival.

Third Person
LORNA SIMPSON with BOTTEGA VENETA

Bottega Veneta’s involvement feels like a homecoming, considering its heritage rooted in Venetian artisanship, motifs and history, allowing for a return in support of their creative community after 60 years since the house’s foundation. In celebration of the Venice Biennale and shared culture, they are hosting a series of cultural gatherings that span the city, through collaborations with Lorna Simpson and the Pier Luigi Nervi Foundation. Through this film, we are taken through Third Person, a solo exhibition by American Artist Lorna Simpson, hosted at Punta della Dogana-Pinault Collection, which holds an austerity that is only enhanced by the warehouse-like architecture it is surrounded by. Their other project, If All Time is Eternally Present — which is collateral with the Biennale d’Arte — presents moving image works by Kandis Williams, Meriem Bennani & Orian Barki, and Tai Shani.

The Fortress
DRIES VERHOEVEN & RIEKE VOS

Finally, this presentation titled The Fortress by artist Dries Verhoeven and curator Rieke Vos, exhibits a visceral, vocally charged performance that employs the ‘grunting’ technique, which is commonplace in death metal. Transferring these sounds into music, guests are subjected to a dark, enclosed space, where visitors must surrender to a shared collective experience. Accentuating themes of growing nationalism, geopolitical conflict, and social inequality, the performance becomes a metaphor for a Western world caught between its enlightened self-image and a bleak vision of the future.

TEAM CREDITS:

The Only True Protest Is Beauty
model SOFIA CORAL at SELECT MODEL MILANO
creative direction ALEXANDRE DORNELLAS
creative producer ANA CAMIZA
videography MATTIA MISTRETTA
video editor FFLORENCIA / MAISON MARTIN
casting TIMOER NULES at THE CASTLOG
vintage sourced via SANGUEBLU VENEZIA
special thanks to SANGUEBLU VENEZIA and EXCESS VENICE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
music This Bitter Earth / on the Nature of Daylight — CLYDE OTIS, MAX RICHTER, DINAH WASHINGTON, LOUISA FULLER, NATALIA BONNER, JOHN METCALFE, PHILIP SHEPPARD, CHRIS WORSEY

Third Person
model SOFIA CORAL at SELECT MODEL MILANO
creative direction and styling ALEXANDRE DORNELLAS
executive producer ANA CAMIZA
videography MATTIA MISTRETTA
video editor FFLORENCIA / MAISON MARTIN
casting TIMOER NULES at THE CASTLOG
vintage sourced via SANGUEBLU VENEZIA
special thanks to SANGUEBLU VENEZIA and EXCESS VENICE BOUTIQUE HOTEL

The Fortress
creative direction ALEXANDRE DORNELLAS
executive producer ANA CAMIZA
video editor FFLORENCIA / MAISON MARTIN
special thanks to EXCESS VENICE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
commissioner EELCO VAN DER LINGEN on behalf of the MONDRIAAN FUND
curation RIEKE VOS
exhibitor DRIES VERHOEVEN
performers (alternating) JENNIE BERGSLI, MELYN CHOW, MAARTEN HEIJNENS, JANA JACUKA, DENGLING LEVINE, DIANE MAHÍN, MAYA MERTENS, MARLEN PFLÜGER, MARIE POPALL, LISEN POUSETTE, OLIVIA RIVIÈRE, MISTY SUPERDELUXE, HARALD STOJAN
location GERRIT RIETVELD PAVILION, GIARDINI DI VENEZIA