Wales in Venice: Helen Sear, Santa Maria Ausiliatrice
Helen Sear is the first solo female artist to represent Wales at the Biennale. Well known for her photography, here she expands her practice into sculpture and video. Her powerful work explores notions of the human, animal and natural worlds.
www.walesinvenice.org.uk
Scotland + Venice: Graham Fagen, Palazzo Fontana
This solo show of Graham Fagen’s work is specially commissioned and curated by Hospitalfield, Arbroath. Mixing video, performance, photography and sculpture with text and music, Fagen explores themes of personal and shared experience and identity.
www.scotlandandvenice.com
Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Ursula von Rydingsvard, Giardino della Marinaressa
Highly acclaimed American artist Ursula von Rydingsvard has a diverse practice that takes in sculpture and drawing. For this show, Yorkshire Sculpture Park present six of her sculptures, previously part of the artist’s show there last year. Perfectly situated, they integrate with the distinctive canopy of pine and poplar trees and surrounding architecture.
www.ysp.co.uk
Jenny Holzer: War Paintings, Museo Correr
This exhibition of paintings by Jenny Holzer has been produced with support from the Written Art Foundation. Selected from a decade’s worth of her war images, they are a significant departure from the LED installations for which Holzer is best known.
www.correr.visitmuve.it
Alexander Ponomarev: Concordia, The Antarctic Pavilion, Fondaco Marcello
The focus of this sculpture exhibition is the Costa Concordia, wrecked off the coast of Italy in 2012. Additional works are based on the artist’s recent expedition to the (Russian Orthodox) Trinity Church of Antarctica. The results explore community, responsibility, security and the strength of the ties that bind us together.
www.antarcticpavilion.com
Sleepers in Venice, Calle del Carbon
For this show, eight Korean artists were asked to respond to Mark Wallinger’s 2004 film Sleeper. The aim is to re-work the fabric of art practice, questioning how art is made, seen and consumed. Featuring painting, performance and installations.
Until 7 June 2015, www.iskaiart.com
Nastio Mosquito, Oratorio di San Ludovico
Having previously worked in the broadcast industry as a director and camerman, Mosquito’s work embraces film, music, theatre and installation. Presented by Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery, this show features new video and performance.
Until 26 July 2015, www.ikon-gallery.org
My East is Your West, Palazzo Benzon
This joint show from India and Pakistan is a collaboration between artists from both countries. Shilpa Gupta and Rashid Rana explore notions of location and dislocation – fitting given that neither country has a permanent pavilion at the Biennial.
Until 31 October 2015, www.gujralfoundation.org
EM15: Doug Fishbone
Leisure is the theme for East Midlands collective EM15’s debut at the Biennale. It includes the newly commissioned artwork Leisure Land Golf by Doug Fishbone – a fully playable mini-golf course with its holes designed by nine individual artists including Ellie Harrison and Yinka Shonibare MBE. The resulting work explores leisure, colonialism, tourism, information and economics.
Until 26 July 2015, www.em15venice.co.uk
The Terra Nova Art Foundation returns to Venice after its 2013 debut, presenting the work of two Newfoundland and Labrador artists: Jordan Bennett and Anne Troake. The two distinct but complementary bodies of work include the installation of a fishing shack and video/audio projections from Bennett, and a 3D video installation from Troake.
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Venice 2015 preview: Ten… must-see national pavilions
