May You Live In Interesting Times: Proposition A

Abu Hamdan, Lawrence

b. 1985 Jordan, lives and works in Beirut

Akunyili Crosby, Njideka

b. 1983 Nigeria, lives and works in Los Angeles

Altındere, Halil

b. 1971 Turkey, lives and works in Istanbul

Armitage, Michael

b. 1984 Kenya, lives and works in London and Nairobi

Arunanondchai, Korakrit

b. 1986 Thailand, lives and works in New York and Bangkok

for the work in Arsenale, in collaboration with

Gvojic, Alex

b.1984 USA, lives and works in New York

Atkins, Ed

b. 1982 United Kingdom, lives and works in Berlin and Copenhagen

Atoui, Tarek

b. 1980 Lebanon, lives and works in Paris

Bader, Darren

b. 1978 USA, lives and works in New York City and elsewhere

Baghramian, Nairy

b.1971 Iran, lives and works in Berlin

Beloufa, Neïl

b. 1985 France, lives and works in Paris

Bircken, Alexandra

b. Germany, lives and works in Berlin

Bove, Carol

b. 1971 Switzerland, lives and works in New York

Büchel, Christoph

b. 1966 Switzerland, lives and works in Reykjavik and Basel

Carbotta, Ludovica

b. 1982 Italy, lives and works in Barcelona

Catala, Antoine

b. 1975 France, lives and works in New York

Cheng, Ian

b. 1984 USA, lives and works in New York

Condo, George

b. 1957 USA, lives and works in New York

Da Corte, Alex

b. 1980 USA, lives and works in Philadelphia

Darling, Jesse

b. United Kingdom, lives and works in London and Berlin

Douglas, Stan

b. 1960 Canada, lives and works in Vancouver

Durham, Jimmie

b. 1940 USA, lives and works in Berlin

Eisenman, Nicole

b. 1965 France, lives and works in New York

Epaminonda, Haris

b. 1980 Republic of Cyprus, lives and works in Berlin

Favaretto, Lara

b. 1973 Italy, lives and works in Turin

Gaillard, Cyprien

b. 1980 France, lives and works in Berlin

Gill, Gauri

b. 1970 India, lives and works in New Delhi

Gonzalez-Foerster, Dominique

b. 1965 France, lives and works in Paris

for the work at the Central Pavilion, in collaboration with

Bittle, Joi

b. 1975 United States, lives and works in New York

Gupta, Shilpa

b. 1976 India, lives and works in Mumbai

Gupta, Soham

b. 1988 India, lives and works in Kolkata

Gutierrez, Martine

b. 1989 USA, lives and works in New York

Halawani, Rula

b. 1964 Palestine, lives and works in Jerusalem

Hamilton, Anthea

b. 1978 United Kingdom, lives and works in London

Hein, Jeppe

b. 1974 Denmark, lives and works in Berlin

Hernandez, Anthony

b. 1947 USA, lives and works in Los Angeles and Idaho

Ikeda, Ryoji

b. 1966 Japan, lives and works in Paris and Kyoto

Jafa, Arthur

b. 1960 USA, lives and works in Los Angeles

Jamie, Cameron

b. 1969 USA, lives in Paris, works in Paris and Cologne

Joseph, Kahlil

b. 1981 USA, lives and works in Los Angeles

Kadyrova, Zhanna

b. 1981 Ukraine, lives and works in Kyiv

Kang, Suki Seokyeong

b. 1977 Republic of Korea, lives and works in Seoul

Katayama, Mari

b. 1987 Japan, lives and works in Gunma

Lee Bul

b. 1964 Republic of Korea, lives and works in Seoul

Liu Wei

b. 1972 People’s Republic of China, lives and works in Beijing

Loboda, Maria

b. 1979 Poland, lives and works in Berlin

Lolis, Andreas

b. 1970 Albania, lives and works in Athens

Marclay, Christian

b. 1955 USA, lives and works in London

Margolles, Teresa

b. 1963 Mexico, lives and works in Mexico City and Madrid

Mehretu, Julie

b. 1970 Ethiopia, lives and works in New York

Minoliti, Ad

b. 1980 Argentina, lives and works in Buenos Aires

Moulène, Jean-Luc

b. 1955 France, lives and works in Paris

Muholi, Zanele

b. 1972 Republic of South Africa, lives and works in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town

Mulleady, Jill

b. 1980 Uruguay, lives and works in Los Angeles

Müller, Ulrike

b. 1971 Austria, lives and works in New York

Nabuqi

b. 1984 People’s Republic of China, lives and works in Beijing

Nkanga, Otobong

b. 1974 Nigeria, lives and works in Antwerp

Norbu, Khyentse

b. 1961 Bhutan, Khyentse Norbu’s rigorous international teaching schedule requires continuous travel. He has residences in India and Bhutan

Orupabo, Frida

b. 1986 Norway, lives and works in Oslo

Rafman, Jon

b. 1981 Canada, lives and works in Montreal

Rico, Gabriel

b. 1980 Mexico, lives and works in Guadalajara

Saputra, Handiwirman

b. 1975 Indonesia, lives and works in Yogyakarta

Saraceno, Tomás

b. 1973 Argentina, lives and works in Berlin

Serapinas, Augustas

b. 1990 Lithuania, lives and works in Vilnius

Singer, Avery

b. 1987 USA, lives and works in New York

Slavs and Tatars

founded 2006, based in Berlin

Smith, Michael E.

b. 1977 USA, lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island

Steyerl, Hito

b. 1966 Germany, lives and works in Berlin

Strachan, Tavares

b. 1979 The Bahamas, lives and works in New York

Sun Yuan (b. 1972 People’s Republic of China) and Peng Yu (b. 1974 People’s Republic of China), both live and work in Beijing

Taylor, Henry

b. 1958 USA, lives and works in Los Angeles

Trockel, Rosemarie

b. 1952 Germany, lives and works in Cologne

Upson, Kaari

b. 1972 USA, lives and works in Los Angeles

Ursuţa, Andra

b. 1979 Romania, lives and works in New York

Vo, Danh

b. 1975 Vietnam, lives and works in Mexico DF

Wa Lehulere, Kemang

b. 1984 Republic of South Africa, lives and works in Cape Town

Weerasethakul, Apichatpong

b. 1970 Thailand, lives and works in Chiang Mai

for the work in Arsenale, in collaboration with

Hisakado, Tsuyoshi

b. 1981 Japan, lives and works in Kyoto

Wertheim, Margaret and Wertheim, Christine

b. 1958 Australia, both live and work in Los Angeles

Yi, Anicka

b. 1971 Republic of Korea, lives and works in New York

Yin Xiuzhen

b. 1963 People’s Republic of China, lives and works in Beijing

Yu Ji

b. 1985 People’s Republic of China, lives and works in Shanghai and Vienna

«The title of this Exhibition could be interpreted as a sort of curse – stated President Paolo Baratta - 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.»

«Twenty years have passed since, in this same location, I presented my first Exhibition - President said - after the Biennale underwent major reform in 1998. Let me tell you, they have been very interesting times. At the beginning we were criticized for the presence of the pavilions, considered old-fashioned in times of cosmopolitanism and globalization, we live in times where some people raise the doubt that cosmopolitanism might also have been a way for the most influential cultural and political realities to exert a sort of soft power. We are an international exhibition that since those years put the word “open” and “plateau of humankind” as the subtitle for all the following biennials.»

«During these years, we have increased the number of visitors and found a new partner. Over the course of the past years, the double cost of transportation in the lagoon obliged us to ask for additional support, and our expressions of gratitude and our wall labels included many market participants. The increase in the number of our visitors has allowed us to considerably cut back on this practice, as you can see in the drastic reduction in our expressions of gratitude, both when presenting the works and in the catalogues. Our visitors have become our main partner; more than half of them are under 26 years of age. Calling notice to this result seems to me the best way to celebrate the twenty years which have passed since 1999.»

«We want to offer them an open gym - Baratta concludes - where they can feel involved in encounters with the works and the artists, in the direct discovery of the “other” which the work of art offers. To us, it is important that, when entering the exhibit, the “public” becomes “visitors,” who then become “viewers” of the works. First, the necessary disorientation, then the involvement, followed by the discovery; it is almost a fencing drill. To share this direction is one of the reasons we have asked Ralph Rugoff to collaborate with us on this twentieth anniversary.»

The Exhibition will develop from the Central Pavilion (Giardini) to the Arsenale, and will include 79 artists from all over the world.

Ralph Rugoff has declared: «May You Live in Interesting Times will no doubt include artworks that reflect upon precarious aspects of existence today, including different threats to key traditions, institutions and relationships of the “post-war order.” But let us acknowledge at the outset that art does not exercise its forces in the domain of politics. Art cannot stem the rise of nationalist movements and authoritarian governments in different parts of the world, for instance, nor can it alleviate the tragic fate of displaced peoples across the globe (whose numbers now represent almost one percent of the world’s entire population).»

«But in an indirect fashion, perhaps art can be a kind of guide for how to live and think in ‘interesting times.’ The 58th International Art Exhibition will not have a theme per se, but will highlight a general approach to making art and a view of art’s social function as embracing both pleasure and critical thinking. The Exhibition will focus on the work of artists who challenge existing habits of thought and open up our readings of objects and images, gestures and situations. Art of this kind grows out of a practice of entertaining multiple perspectives: of holding in mind seemingly contradictory and incompatible notions, and juggling diverse ways of making sense of the world. Artists who think in this manner offer alternatives to the meaning of so-called facts by suggesting other ways of connecting and contextualising them. Animated by boundless curiosity and puncturing wit, their work encourages us to look askance at all unquestioned categories, concepts and subjectivities. It invites us to consider multiple alternatives and unfamiliar vantage points, and to discern the ways in which “order” has become the simultaneous presence of diverse orders.»