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Opening in Treviso |
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At the opening, while the exhibiting artists were disappointed and angry about the ignorance with which they were being treated, local politicians were busy celebrating themselves. An entertainer steered through the program as though through a television show, throwing out catch words in praise of the ever so hospitable and culturally rich Treviso, that was finally meant to glean some of the glamour from the Venice Biennale.
However, the hospitality didn't go as far as to translate the speeches, or at least the opening remarks, into Spanish for the guests from Latin America. Moreover, the exhibition catalog is presumably the only publication of the entire Biennale which is available solely in Italian.
Protest Resolution
Throughout the entire event, most of the artists sat in the audience holding balloons on which was written: NO - existimos (we do not exist).
As the official portion came to an end, they took the opportunity to deliver a protest resolution in Italian because one did, after all, want to be understood. The resolution is addressed to both the organizers of the Venice Biennale, as well as to those responsible in the native countries. See the wording of the resolution.
Unfortunately, the niveau of the artwork shown in the exhibition was very inconsistent. The catalog names a commissioner but no curator, and in fact, no curatorial concept was recognizable in the collection of art, which was far too large for the small, cramped rooms. This deficit is also denounced in the resolution. |
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