The 60th edition of the Venice Biennale will close on 24th November, in just 20 days time.
It’s not too late to visit Adriana Pedrosa’s ‘Stranieri Ovunque’ event for this year’s Biennale. The event started on 20th April and closes on 24th November, 2024. This is an every other year (biennial) art exhibition. Countries from all over the world are represented – with particular emphasis on Southern Hemisphere artists and marginalised artists. This year’s Biennale has been curated by South American genius Andrea Pedrosa: Venice – La Biennale 2024
His theme of ‘Stranieri Ovunque’ translates into ‘Foreigners Everywhere’. These words refer to all of us as being outsiders, and refers to our own ‘otherness’ and how we are all a mixture, a hotch-potch of cultural inputs, life experiences and complicated interactions with our environment.
I’m particularly taken by Paula Nicho’s exquisite folklore-naive paintings celebrating indigenous patterns and designs (Main Pavilion, Giardini). For more on Paula Nicho click on the link below:
Paula Nicho represents Guatemala
The Biennale is split over two sites; Giardini and Arsenale – you really need a day at each site to fully appreciate the scale and scope of the event. The organisers provide guides who offer an excellent and concise view of the show.
The most poignant element of the Biennale for me has been the Vatican’s contribution at the Women’s Prison. A collaboration somewhat improbably between the Italian Prisons Bureau, The Women’s Prison on Giudecca and ‘The Holy See’. I’ve written extensively about this unholy alliance here: The Women’s Prison, Venice
If you have time spend a day or two at the Biennale before it closes, who knows what diamonds might be revealed.
A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR – Janet Simmonds (nee Panagakis) is a British-born tour guide, writer and travel company owner. Born in Liverpool with a slightly Greek grand-father and a very Greek great grand-father she has a special affinity with the history, culture and art of the Mediterranean, especially Italy and Greece. She studied Geography and Art History at the Universities of Oxford and Manchester, Janet has spent most of her adult life running specialist travel companies and travelling extensively. Several times a year she leads small groups to different parts of Europe. Mostly to Venice, Trieste, Friuli, Naples, Basilicata, Amalfi and Sicily. Occasional trips to Greece, especially Athens, Delphi and Thessalonika are usually on the horizon. Next year it’s Istanbul and the Lycian tombs of Antalya, Turkey. Why not join one of our small group tours!
Our 2025 calendar is here:
4th Nov 2024
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