Artists of our time at the Venice Biennale 2024

This year the 60th International Art Exhibition, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, spotlights artists who have not previously exhibited at the event, and as a collective, represent our colorful world today.

Titled “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere”, the exhibition is curated by Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director of São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), marking the Biennale’s first Latin American curator.

“Supporting and nurturing artists working today is an ethos also held by the UBS Art Collection, as we endeavor to acquire works at the time of creation and are constantly expanding the collection to include new and unique contemporary perspectives”, says Mary Rozell, Global Head UBS Art Collection.

Here we take a look at a handful of the thought-provoking pavilions, selected through a lens of artists represented in the UBS Art Collection…

The first indigenous artist to represent the US with a solo exhibition, Jeffrey Gibson will activate the entire US pavilion with a series of new and recent works that invite reflection on individual and collective identities.

Born in Colorado, Gibson is of Cherokee and Choctaw descent, and grew up between the US, Germany, Korea and England. “Truly a world citizen, Gibson’s works reflect the diversity of American culture and contemporary society.” says Mary Rozell.

Incorporating an abundance of color, complex texture and recognizable texts in his works, the artist thinks about the experience of being a foreigner or an outside observer when making art, closely connecting to the overall theme of the exhibition.

Discover more about the artist’s practice in a studio interview with Mary Rozell here.

Titled “Nigeria Imaginary”, the country’s second pavilion brings together works by 8 artists to explore local histories with a view to a bright future ahead.

The artists were selected based on their unique visions for Nigeria, bringing perspectives from several generations, such as Yinka Shonibare CBE RA’s exploration of the interrelationship between Africa and Europe, while Tunji Adeniyi-Jones uncovers ancient West African symbolism and mythology.

One of Canada’s most prominent artists, Kapwani Kiwanga is the first Black woman to represent the country in its pavilion.

Known for her research-based practice, the artist dives deep into historic archives to bring to life stories of those who have been marginalized, forgotten, or erased. She transforms them into all-consuming site-specific installations which bring together sculpture, mixed-media and performance.

In his thought-provoking presentation for the Singapore Pavilion, artist Robert Zhao Renhui will explore the phenomena of secondary forests – the regrowth following deforestation from human intervention.

Consisting an assemblage of video works and sculptural installations, the exhibition “Seeing Forest” is the culmination of years of research into the changing landscape in Singapore, including the effects of interference from foreign invasive plant and animal species on both developed and natural areas.

Zhao’s works at the Pavilion reflects on the complex web of human and non-human coexistence while encapsulating the region’s histories of settlement, colonization and migration.

The 60th International Art Exhibition, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, is on view across Venice Giardini and Arsenale from April 20 to November 24 2024.

UBS is also pleased to support an event at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s Island of San Giacomo in the Venetian lagoon, where South-Korean choreographer Eun-Me Ahn launched a new project, “Pinky Pinky 'Good': San Giacomo's Leap into Tomorrow”. Held in time for the the Biennale, the project is curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and activated six areas on the island with more than 15 dancers.