British_pavilion

British pavilion

British pavilion

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The British pavilion houses Great Britain's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.

The British pavilion

Background

The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists known for propelling career visibility. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theater.[1]

Outside of the central, international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings, such as the 30 housed on the Giardini, are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in venues throughout the city.[1]

Organization and building

The British pavilion was designed by the architect Edwin Alfred Rickards and built in 1909 on the site of an older building, a café-restaurant constructed in 1887. The pavilion's design invokes 18th-century, Italianate-style, English country houses.[2]

Since 1937 the British Council has been responsible for the pavilion.[3] Financial support for the pavilion comes from a combination of public funds, via the British Council, and private sponsors, including Burberry. The decision of art fair and magazine brand Frieze to sponsor the British pavilion in 2024 marks the first time that an art fair has provided funding for a national pavilion at the Biennale.[4]

Representation by year

Art

References

  1. [1]
    Russeth 2019.
  2. [2]
    Volpi 2013.
  3. [3]
    Melanie Gerlis (6 December 2023), Frieze support for Britain’s Venice Biennale pavilion highlights art’s embrace of business Financial Times.
  4. [4]
    Kabir Jhala (23 November 2023), Frieze to sponsor next British pavilion at Venice Biennale The Art Newspaper.
  5. [5]
    Mark Brown (April 9, 2018) Cathy Wilkes to represent Britain at 58th Venice Biennale The Guardian.
  6. [6]
    Rea, Naomi (February 12, 2020). "Artist Sonia Boyce Will Be the First Black Woman to Represent the UK at the Venice Biennale". Artnet News. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  7. [7]
    Gareth Harris (24 January 2023), John Akomfrah to represent Britain at 2024 Venice Biennale The Art Newspaper.
  8. [8]
    Alex Greenberger (24 January 2023) Celebrated Filmmaker John Akomfrah to Represent Great Britain at the 2024 Venice Biennale ARTnews.

Bibliography

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_pavilion&action=edit

Further reading
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