May You Live in Interesting Times: The 58th Venice Biennale

The Exhibition takes place at the Central Pavilion (Giardini) and the Arsenale, and includes 79 artists from all over the world. It also include 90 National Participations and 21 Collateral Events. Four countries are participating for the first time at the Biennale Arte: Algeria, Ghana, Madagascar, and Pakistan.

Ralph Rugoff has declared: «May You Live in Interesting Times will no doubt include artworks that reflect upon precarious aspects of existence today, including different threats to key traditions, institutions and relationships of the “post-war order.” But let us acknowledge at the outset that art does not exercise its forces in the domain of politics. Art cannot stem the rise of nationalist movements and authoritarian governments in different parts of the world, for instance, nor can it alleviate the tragic fate of displaced peoples across the globe (whose numbers now represent almost one percent of the world’s entire population).»