THE VENICE BIENNALE 2011 - JUNE 4TH > NOVEMBER 27TH
THE 54TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
'ILLUMInations' is the title of the 54th Venice Biennale international art exhibition, directed by Bice Curiger. It is laid out in the historic venues of the Central Pavilion in the Giardini and the Venice Arsenal, and throughout the whole city, as Venice opens the doors of its own architectural and artistic gems for the occasion to turn them into exhibition spaces and venues for collateral events, of which there are more than 40 this year.
The exhibition features 83 artists from across the world, almost all with original works, and a record number of national pavilions, some of which are at the Biennale for the first time such as Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Haiti.
A new feature this year is the introduction of four 'para-pavilions', architectural and sculptural structures designed by four artists to house works by other artists. The unusual starting point of the exhibition is formed by three masterpieces by Tintoretto: The Last Supper, The Stealing of the Dead Body of St Mark and The Creation of the Animals. These great canvases greet the visitor and form the initial focus for an exploration of the role of light in art.
As at every Biennale there's no shortage of controversy. Jan Fabre's 'Pietas', for example, a reinterpretation of Michelangelo's Pietà on display at the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia has been accused of being blasphemous.