Australia at the Venice Biennale 2007
Newly commissioned projects by three artists – Susan Norrie, Daniel von Sturmer and Callum Morton – will highlight the diversity and depth of contemporary Australian art practice at the 2007 Venice Biennale.
The new works will be located at three selected sites in Venice, and will reflect the distinctive nature of contemporary art in Australia; Daniel von Sturmer will be located at the Australian Pavilion, and Susan Norrie and Callum Morton will create site-specific works at other key spaces.
Susan Norrie will explore the pervasive geopolitical issues of a planet in turmoil. The new installation will be physically immersive, using real and imagined precautionary tales to transport viewers toward an uncertain future. Norrie is committed to documenting the ‘truths of our experiences, not just simply erasing history and supporting a collective amnesia.’ The contradictory forces of nature, containing both an illusive beauty and a potential violence, are an ongoing metaphor for Norrie. Sequences of natural and manmade disasters are merged in her work and overlaid with mesmerising soundscapes, and the new commission will continue the artist’s investigation into the tension between beauty and terror – between surface appearances and what may lie beneath.
Daniel von Sturmer will continue his ‘experiments with space’, constructing video installations and architectural interventions especially designed for the Australian Pavilion in the Giardini. These new works aim to test how it is we see what we see, bringing the unique spaces of the Pavilion into play. ‘Video sequences will confound viewers’ sense of space, scale and orientation – creating experiments with gravity and weightlessness, movement and stillness.’ von Sturmer’s recent works have explored similar ideas: the measured flow of paint filling the screen, a miniature landscape constructed of everyday materials, and simple paper sculptures forming three-dimensional abstractions in space.
Callum Morton is known for his large-scale, architecturally inspired installation. Stonewash transformed the exterior of a ruined building in Istanbul into a pristine Levis shop-front. Babylonia, a craggy floating island that hides a mysterious luxury hotel corridor, was an inspired fusion of James Bond, The Shining and Disneyland. The new commission for 2007 will further explore Morton’s interest in the relationships between private and public space, reality and illusion, interior and exterior. The unique characteristics of both the city of Venice and the Biennale itself are to provide a rich context for the installation. The new work will connect with Venice – a city renowned for its abundant water, decay and numerous tourists – and at the same time relate to its ongoing, daily working life of transportation, repair and building.
The Australia Council for the Arts
The Australia Council has managed and funded Australian representation for more than 25 years. Previous Australian representatives at the Venice Biennale include Judy Watson, Howard Arkley, Patricia Piccinini and Ricky Swallow.
Commissioner
John Kaldor AM
Website
www.ozco.gov.au/venice2007
Contact
venice2007@ozco.gov.au
