Syrian Arab (Republic) 2019

Title: “Syrian Civilization is Still Alive”
Artists: Abdalah Abouassali, Giacomo Braglia, Ibrahim Al Hamid, Chen Huasha, Saed Salloum, Xie Tian, Saad Yagan, Primo Vanadia, Giuseppe Biasio
Commissioner/Curator: Emad Kashout
Venues: San Servolo Island, Venice; Chiesetta della Misericordia, Campo dell’Abbazia

Since 2007, Syria has been pleased to take part with its own Pavilion in this important international event together with international artists who have adopted a variety of approaches. In this edition, special thanks go to the artists of the Syrian motherland: Saad Yagan, whose painting focuses on the presence of humanitarian; Ibrahim Al Hamid, inspired by local traditions; Abdalah Abouassali’s realism, and Saed Salloum’s abstraction, looking at surreal worlds. With their participation in Syrian Civilization is Still Alive, the invited artists embrace the dialogical dimension of their works beyond national borders. Giuseppe Biasio’s passion for informal style and the great Masters of the past – like Caravaggio and Bacon – stands side by side with Giacomo Braglia’s “fresh” and new view of our world with its paradoxes and contradictions, while two Chinese artists, Chen Huasha and Xie Tian, with their “emotional journey” address the adjustment difficulties experienced by foreigners in the countries that host them. Finally, a young photographer from Palermo, Primo Vanadia, with his careful and sensitive spirit for landscapes and light, emphasizes the fascinating visual power of his homeland.