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related to the fact that the curatorship was carried out by the in the works by the Mexican Cynthia Gutierrez, in the crazed and
French Christine Macel, from Centre Pompidou, in Paris. The dazzling drawings of the Czech Lubos Plny, one of the Biennale’s
previous edition, curated by Okwui Enwezor, had a more provocative revelations, in the production of Sheila Hicks, with her large skeins
approach, for instance, with the Communist Manifesto being read of yarn, the most photographed work in this edition, and also in
uninterruptedly in the center of the exhibition together with works Abdoulaye Konaté, with his Guarani panel, created for the 2015
that offered critical perspectives of contemporary society. Sesc_Videobrasil Festival. These are some examples among many
What would motivate this current coldness during the hottest of a procedure that actually repeats itself throughout the show.
months in the iconic Italian city? On the one hand, it is clear that However, the final impression is that Macel looked back a great
the exhibition is built with few commissioned works, therefore it deal, and could not burden himself with talking about the present
departs from a more historical perspective—even if some works time. With so many tensions exploding and escalating everywhere,
are recent. avoiding the current crises seems nonsensical.
On the other, a very recurrent strategy is the presence of artists
with central works from 1960s and 1970s, when performance was NATIONAL PAVILIONS PORTRAY A DARK PRESENT
gaining momentum. Several works in the show are connected to If the central show avoids conflicts, the National Pavilions paint a
this moment. This is the case with the Italian Maria Lai (1919–2013), darker picture of the world today, starting with the North American
the Hungarian Tibor Hajas, the Dutch Ader, and the Brazilian Pavilion, curated by Mark Bradford. Tomorrow is another Day, the
Bruscky, among many others. However, these are artists with title of his work in the show, features a gloomy pavilion, where the
productions that carry the feeling of déjà vu, despite the originality building’s exterior façade appears to be in ruins, and the ceiling of
of each of them. the first room on the circuit is literally inches from the ground, a
The performance in which Bruscky spread several wooden boxes in clear reference to the decline of the US in the Trump era.
front of the Central Pavilion, for example, is an obsolete work, since England’s pavilion too, curated by Phyllida Barlow, presents a
the reference to postal art, with the irony of what the transport surreal atmosphere, mixing negligence and decay, in the destroyed
of an artwork means, loses some of its meaning with the lack of architecture of the building, with colorful concrete balls, a sort of
importance of the mail today. mad delirium in these times of Brexit.
In fact, Viva Arte Viva even gives the impression that worse than Cinthia Marcelle, though, is the artist who causes a real impact
falling into the polarized radicalizations the world is seeing today with her work in the Brazilian Pavilion, with a severe criticism of
is seeking to please everyone with an inclusive consensus. The Brazil’s situation. Jochen Volz deserves credit for his successful
exhibition is divided into nine chapters, two of them in the Central choice of a single artist to occupy the pavilion. The curator opposed
Pavilion and other nine in the Arsenale. Each chapter or pavilion, recent editions that brought together disparate artists and works.
the name in fact opposes the traditional national pavilions of the By herself, Marcelle not only manages to occupy the space, but
show, is seen in a wide and generic theme, ranging from issues also transforms it in an impressive yet simple way. On the floor, she
specific to art, such as the Pavilion of Colors and the Pavilion of installed grids, mimicking the ones present in the Biennale’s garden,
Artists and Books, through others with a social theme, such as but changing the leveling, causing a certain situation of irregularity.
the Pavilion of the Common and of the Earth, to esoteric themes Stones are embedded in these grids, creating a minimalist view of
such as Shamans, Time and Infinity. apparent stability, but which hide black eggs in a can, the eggs of a
The Pavilion of the Common, for instance, showcases artists such snake that comes out of the depths of the Brazilian Pavilion, foreseeing
as the Italian Maria Lai, who until now has been on the margins darkness at a high intensity. A video made with Tiago Mata Machado,
of the art system, but who was brought to the spotlight in 2017 depicts a situation of rioting prisoners. Chaos is here and now.
in two major exhibitions, since besides Venice she participates
in Kassel’s and Athens’ documenta. At the Biennale, Lai is seen 1 | ARTISTS STAGING FAUST ON THE INSTALLATION OF THE GERMAN ANNE IMHOF,
within a broad perspective, with works from different periods of WINNER OF THE GOLDEN LION
her career, from performative interventions in his hometown,
Ulassai, in the 1970s, to the splendid Lenzuolo series, from 1991, 2 | ALÉM DA ESCALA DE PAISAGEM CROMÁTICA [BEYONF THE SCALE OF CHROMATIC
composed of texts sewn to fabrics, an impressive manual work. LANDSCAPE], (2016–2017), SHEILA HICKS. MIXED MEDIA, 600 X 1600 X 400 CM
If there is an axis that deserves to be mentioned in Macel’s selection,
it is the one that addresses works, with very few exceptions, which 3 | ABOVE, UM SAGRADO LUGAR [A SACRED PLACE], BY ERNESTO NETO. RIGHT, BRESIL
avoid any technological sophistication and are manually produced, (GUARANI), BY ABDOULAYE KONATE.
as in Lai’s production. In a sense, with the over-connectivity in the
contemporary world and absolute dependence of digital screens, 4 | INSTALLATIONCHÃO DE CAÇA[HUNTING FLOOR], BY CINTHIA MARCELLE, AT THE
this represents a certain relief, a kind of escape into the essential. BRAZILIAN PAVILION. CURATED BY JOCHEN VOLZ, THE PAVILION WAS WARDED THE
In this context, Ernesto Neto’s installation stands out. First, due to BIENNALE’S HONORABLE MENTION.
the sheer size of his works in recent years, but especially due to the
artist’s relations with the Huni Kuins, from Acre, which afford his REVIEW ME, CLOSET OF MYSELF | PAGE 96
work a political trait in defense of the dignity of indigenous peoples.
an exotic side of Brazil, as if the performance with the Indians in THE QUESTIONING OF A
Neto’s installation was criticized by the foreign press for presenting
in the 19th century. In fact, it was somewhat shocking to see the TIME, BY LETÍCIA PARENTE
the exhibition’s opening was similar to the Indians exposed in cages
globalized elite of the art circuit dancing alongside the Huni Kuins,
as if they were at a Carnival parade. However, this does not disprove EXHIBITION AT THE JAQUELINE MARTINS GALLERY SHOWCASES
the constant relationship that Neto has been developing with the WORKS BY THE ARTIST FROM THE 1970S AND 1980S, COMPLETELY
Indians and how his work has been growing with this partnership,
especially at a moment when, in Brazil, the genocide of indigenous REVEALING A RELATIVELY UNKNOWN POETIC
populations has become a government policy.
This almost artisanal character of the exhibition can also be seen BY FABIO CYPRIANO

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