The 60. Venice Biennale, entitled “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere” officially opened on April 20th. The International Exhibition, presented at the Arsenale and Giardini venues, was curated by Adriano Pedrosa, the artistic director of Museo de Arte in São Paulo. However the most memorable events of this edition happened in national pavilions. The main theme was built around keywords relating to the major contemporary challenges: not only mass migration caused by armed conflicts, global warming, the climate crisis and the economic situation but also the consequences of colonization. National pavilions took on perspectives different from their own: they looked into the past and reinterpreted the history of art (Spain), invited people from other countries to make their voices heard (Poland), spoke openly about the exploitation of African communities and their participation in the global production of goods (Netherlands). There was a recurring theme of refugee journeys through plastic-polluted seas (Great Britain, Panama). Europe appeared in them as a place of dynamic change, a change that was also happening in the way we talk about Europe. Its myth was subject to sharp revision (Northern Countries, Lebanon).
There was a space for protest against wars and marginalized narratives at this Biennale. Ukrainian art was presented at the Polish Pavilion in a moving video installation by the Open group collective from 2022 and 2024, "Repeat After Me" (the first part premiered during the residency at Galeria Labirynt in Lublin). On recordings, refugees recreated the most characteristic sounds of the war that they could remember: tanks, bombs, anti-aircraft alarms, and various types of weapons. The simplicity and interactive nature of the work forced the recipients to confront the war situation, which was recorded in the body. The Ukrainian Pavilion "Net Making" was a group exhibition of Ukrainian artists, which pointed to the social context of art through a reference to the collective weaving of masking nets. A speech by Olena Zelenska accompanied the opening. One of the accompanying events at the Pinchuk Art Centre was a large exhibition of contemporary Ukrainian art "Dare to Dream". Galeria Labirynt, supported by the City of Lublin, carried out networking meetings there, which was attended by curators and directors of museums and galleries from both large and small centres in Ukraine (including Lviv, Kyiv, Dnieper, Khmelnytsky). Thanks to the City's commitment to promoting international dialogue it was possible to juxtapose different perspectives. The desire to save what was most creative and alive in culture resonated strongly in the discussions, along with the need for protection, cooperation, and exchange between Ukrainian cities and centres in other parts of Europe. As part of its efforts to win the title of European Capital of Culture, Lublin created conditions for Re:Union, unblocking connections and activating voices that need to be heard.
