Australia at the Venice Biennale 2009

The Venice Biennale is widely regarded as the most important and prestigious event on the international contemporary visual arts calendar. It is the oldest and largest established biennale in the world. The Biennale is held every 2 years and incorporates over 80 countries showcasing contemporary visual artist from their communities.

Australia has been consistently represented in the Venice Biennale for more than three decades, through the financial support and management of the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body.

Australia's official representation for the Venice Biennale 2009 will include five Australian artists. Shaun Gladwell will exhibit his work at the Australian Pavilion in the Giardini. Influenced by his experiences in Australia’s landscape of the outback, and Mad Max movies, the work is a suite of videos accompanied by sound, photographic and sculptural works. Shaun Gladwell was one of three Australian artists selected by Director Robert Storr to participate in the 52nd International Art Exhibition at Venice Biennale 2007.

Sydney-based curator Felicity Fenner will curate a group show of four artists based at The Ludoteca in the Castello district. The exhibition entitled ONCE REMOVED will present artists - Vernon Ah Kee, Ken Yonetani, and Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro - through a series of installations unified by themes of displacement, Indigenous and environmental issues.

The fully interactive Australian Venice Biennale website will be launched in March 2009. To keep up to date with the Australian representations at Venice please click here join our mailing list.