San Marino

The “Friendship Project” China is the project that the Republic of San Marino will present as part of its participation as a National Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale. The project aims to unite artists from San Marino with Chinese artists, so essentially one of the smallest republics flanked by one of the largest republics. The choice seemed almost natural in that, between the Republic of San Marino and the People’s Republic  of  China,  there  are  great  and  historical  ties  of  friendship  that,  once  again,  will  be consolidated by this initiative that in the coming years will be followed by other similar initiatives and that will see the Republic of San Marino brought together with other great countries of the world, such as Russia and the United States. The “Friendship Project” curated by Vincenzo Sanfo, organiser of international fame, former curator of the Beijing Biennale, and to whom we owe the first participation of the People’s Republic of China at the Venice Biennale of 1997, will include a few carefully selected San Marino artists that will be showcased alongside some of the greatest contemporary Chinese masters. The project aims to emphasise the need for collaboration and dialogue between peoples, a theme that finds great relevance given the times we live in, driven by a strong lack of political, social, economic, religious and cultural communication. Using communication, between large and small entities, drawing on culture and in an international context of an event on such a large scale that is the Venice Biennale, seemed the most logicalchannel to follow, especially in light of the lines indicated by the curator of the Venice Biennale, Okwui Enwezor. The artists will be exhibited in some of the most prestigious locations in the city of Venice such as The Veneto University of Sciences, Letters and Arts, The Cloister of San Salvador, also called Telecom Future Centre Space, in the Palazzo Rota Ivancich, the Museum of Santa Apollonia, and inPalazzo Bembo. Therefore an important complex and high-impact participation in Venice, all of which will be supported by a strong promotional campaign both city-wide and on an international scale.

Address 1 Ateneo Veneto, San Marco, 1897

Address 2 Telecom Italia Future Centre, San Marco 4826, Campo San Salvador

Address 3 Palazzo Rota Ivancich, Castello 4421

Address 4 Scuola dei Mercanti, Cannaregio, Campo Madonna dell’Orto