Anyone for Venice?

3 May 2019 03:00 PM

This year, the international exhibition of the Venice Biennale will feature a Performance Programme thanks to the funding and commissioning support that Arts Council England has provided to the Delfina Foundation.

The Performance Programme, curated by Venice Biennale’s artistic director Ralph Rugoff and Delfina Foundation’s director Aaron Cezar, will feature performers including Alex Baczynski-Jenkins, boychild, Paul Maheke & Nkisi, Nastio Mosquito, Florence Peak & Eve Stainton, Victoria Sin, and Zadie Xa.  Their performances, incorporating music, movement and visual art, will take place in spaces throughout the gardens and galleries of the Biennale.

Peter Heslip, Director of Visual Arts at Arts Council England yesterday commented:

“We are delighted to be working with Ralph Rugoff and Aaron Cezar as commissioners on this year’s Venice Bienniale. The selected artists reflect the vibrancy and diversity of a performance art scene in England which is truly international in its outlook. The artists represent a range of practices which call on multiple artistic traditions and look ahead to new ways of thinking about art in the world today. Building on previous Arts Council England supported programmes in Venice, we are excited to support curators to present their most ambitious work at this significant and career-defining platform.”

Ralph Rugoff yesterday commented:

“The selection of artists for the performance programme reflects the international and diverse character of artists working in and influenced by the UK, all of whom will add significant, strong and utterly unique voices to the International Exhibition of the 2019 Venice Biennale.  It has been an inspiring process to work on this programme with Delfina Foundation, a London organisation renowned for its nurturing of talent from across the globe.”

Aaron Cezar yesterday commented:

“Performance is not only alternative way of recording and rewriting history, but in keeping with the theme of the biennale, performance can also help us process the current urgencies that we face at home and abroad. This programme boldly points to the uncertainties that define the times that we live in and reflects on them as opportunities for radical change.”

You can find more information here, and the full schedule is available here.