The Venice Biennale – dubbed “the art world’s Olympics” – is in full swing, and thousands of people worldwide have converged on the Italian city to savour and celebrate the splendour of contemporary art and architecture.
The exhibition opened its doors to the public on Saturday, April 20, with an awards ceremony and inauguration held at Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of La Biennale.
With a theme that centres around giving space and visibility to previously marginalised groups – Stranieri Ovunque—Foreigners Everywhere, 2024 marks a milestone for the African art scene as it records the most extensive participation of African countries since the launch of the Venice Biennale in 1895.
In this article, we dive into all that’s happening with African art at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Let’s get into it, shall we?
Table of Content
What is the Venice Biennale?
First, Biennale is an Italian word that translates to “every other year”.
By extension, the Venice Biennale is an international arts and culture festival hosted annually by the Biennale Foundation since 1895.
The Venice Biennale, currently on its 60th edition, takes place in Venice, Italy. It welcomes thousands of visitors annually (it recorded 800,000+ in 2022) to a showcase of Italian and international art exhibitions organised by the world’s top curators.
These exhibitions often feature provocative, groundbreaking work by contemporary artists from various countries, often with a central curatorial theme that explores social, economic and political ideas from an international point of view.
The Biennale differs from art fairs and regular exhibitions because the exhibited artworks are not typically available for sale, and exhibitions happen across multiple venues.
Exhibiting at the Venice Biennale is a big deal for many artists, especially emerging artists, as it brings them global exposure and launches them into international careers.
African National Pavilions at the Venice Biennale 2024
According to insights from Artnet, this year has seen Africa’s most extensive participation in the Venice Biennale’s history.
Unlike in 2022, when only 9 African countries presented official national pavilions at the Biennale, 13 African countries are taking up space and joining the conversation this year.
Initially, 15 African countries were expected to participate; however, plans for the Kenyan and Moroccan pavilions were cancelled for various reasons.
Below, we’ve listed the 13 participating African countries with relevant details on each pavilion.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Commissioner: Joseph Ibongo Gilungula, Head of Cabinet of the Minister of Culture
Curator: Gabriele Giuseppe Salmi
Exhibiting Artists: Aimé Mpane, Eddy Ekete, Steve Bandoma, Jean Katambayi Mukendi, Kongo Astronauts, Cedrick Sungo, Eddy Kamuanga
Venue: IPAB Opere Riunite Buon Pastore, Ex Capella, Castello 77
Exhibition Title: Invisible
Learn more about DR Congo’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Egypt
Commissioner: Ministry of Culture Egypt – Accademia d’Egitto a Roma
Curator/Exhibiting Artist: Wael Shawky
Venue: Giardini
Learn more about Egypt’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Ethiopia (Debutant)
Commissioner: Amb. Demitu Hambisa Bonsa
Curator: Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL
Exhibiting Artist: Tesfaye Urgessa
Venue: Palazzo Bollani, Castello 3647
Learn more about Ethiopia’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Ivory Coast
Commissioner: Illa Ginette Donwahi
Curator: Simon Njami
Exhibiting Artists: Jems Koko Bi, François Xavier Gbré, Sadikou Oukpedjo, Franck Abd-Bakar Fanny, Marie Claire Messouma Manlanbien
Venue: Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli – Dorsoduro 947
Exhibition Title: The Blue Note
Learn more about Ivory Coast’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Nigeria
Commissioner: Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Nigeria’s Edo State
Curator: Aindrea Emelife
Exhibiting Artists: Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Ndidi Dike, Onyeka Igwe, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Abraham Oghobase, Precious Okoyomon, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Fatimah Tuggar
Venue: Palazzo Canal, Dorsoduro 3121 (Rio terà Canal)
Exhibition Title: Nigeria Imaginary
Learn more about Nigeria’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Republic of Benin (Debutant)
Commissioner: José Pliya
Curator: Azu Nwagbogu
Exhibiting Artists: Chloé Quenum, Moufouli Bello, Ishola Akpo, Romuald Hazoumè
Venue: Arsenale
Exhibition Title: Everything Precious Is Fragile
Learn more about the Benin Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Republic of Cameroon
Commissioner: Serge Achille Ndouma
Curators: Paul Emmanuel Loga Mahop, Sandro Orlandi Stagl
Exibiting Artists: Jean Michel Dissake, Hako Hankson, Kendji & Ollo Arts, Patrick-Joël Tatcheda Yonkeu, Guy Wouete, Angelo Accardi, Julia Bornefeld, Cesare Catania, Adélaïde Laurent-Bellue, Franco Mazzucchelli, Rex and Edna Volcan, Giorgio Tentolini, Liu Youju
Venue: Palazzo Donà delle Rose, Fondamente Nove, 5038
Exhibition Title: Pavilion of Wonders
Learn more about Cameroon’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Republic of Seychelles
Commissioner: Emmanuel D’Offay
Curator: Martin Kennedy
Exhibiting Artists: Jude Ally, Ryan Chetty, Danielle Freakley, Juliette Zelime (aka Jadez)
Venue: Arsenale
Exhibition Title: Pala exploring “The Piñata Effect – Adapt or Perish”
Learn more about Seychelles’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Republic of South Africa
Commissioner: Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, Ambassador of South Africa
Curator: Portia Malatjie
Exhibiting Artists: MADEYOULOOK (Molemo Moiloa & Nare Mokgotho)
Venue: Arsenale
Exhibition Title: Quiet Ground
Learn more about South Africa’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Republic of Zimbabwe
Commissioner: Raphael Chikukwa, National Gallery of Zimbabwe
Curator: Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa
Exhibiting Artists: Gillian Rosselli, Kombo Chapfika, Moffat Takadiwa, Sekai Machache, Troy Makaza, Victor Nyakauru
Venue: Santa Maria della Pietà, Castello 3701
Exhibition Title: Undone
Learn more about Zimbabwe’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Senegal (Debutant)
Commissioner: Mariéme Ba
Curator: Massamba Mbaye
Exhibiting Artist: Alioune Diagne
Venue: Arsenale
Learn more about Senegal’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Uganda
Commissioner: Juliana Naumo Akoryo
Curator: Elizabeth Acaye Kerunen
Exhibiting Artists: Artisan Weavers’ Collective, Sana Gateja, Taga Nuwagaba, Xenson Ssenkaba, Jose Hendo, Odur Ronald
Venue: Bragora Gallery, Castello 3496
Learn more about Uganda’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
United Republic of Tanzania (Debutant)
Commissioner: Leah Elias Kihimbi, Deputy Director Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports
Curator: Enrico Bittoto
Exhibiting Artists: Haji Chilonga, Naby, Happy Robert, Lutengano Mwakisopile (Lute)
Venue: La fabbrica del vedere, Calle del Forno, Cannaregio 3857
Exhibition Title: A Flight in Reverse Mirrors
Learn more about Tanzania’s Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
Diaspora Pavilions at the Venice Biennale 2024 with an African Perspective
Outside of African countries, a few other pavilions in the diaspora are also leading their exhibitions with African and diasporic perspectives.
The Canadian Pavilion
Multidisciplinary artist Kapwani Kiwanga represents the Canadian exhibition, which presents a sculptural installation consisting of conterie (glass beads), which were historically used as currency and items of exchange.
The beads symbolize past transactions that altered the socioeconomic landscape of the sixteenth century and beyond.
The work speaks to how the world was altered by trading these beads and the often destructive history of commerce.
Commissioner: National Gallery of Canada
Curator: Gaëtane Verna
Venue: Giardini
Learn more about Canada’s pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
The France Pavilion
Julien Creuzet, conceptual artist and professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris, represents the French pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
Inspired by the poetic and philosophical reflections of Aimé Césaire and Édouard Glissant on creolization and migration, Creuzet’s work focuses on the troubled intersection of the history of Martinique and the events of European modernity.
His installation draws on the imagination of the Caribbean and the intersection of African, Indian, and European cultures, focusing on emancipation, which must be felt to truly be seen.
Commissioner: Institut français on behalf of The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and The Ministry of Culture
Curators: Céline Kopp, Cindy Sissokho
Venue: Giardini
Learn more about the French pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
The Great Britain Pavilion
Artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah brings Great Britain’s pavilion to life with his Listening All Night To The Rain installation.
The installation centres around post-colonialism, ecology, and the politics of aesthetics, with a renewed focus on the act of listening and the sonic.
The exhibition is interpreted as a call to action that promotes listening as activism. Eight overlapping and interlocking multi-screen sound and time-based pieces are crafted to form a single installation.
The exhibition examines how diasporic people’s lives in Britain might be interpreted by addressing and linking vast historical narratives across five continents.
Commissioner: Skinder Hundal, Global Director of Arts at the British Council
Curator: Tarini Malik
Venue: Giardini
Learn more about Great Britain’s pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
The Dutch Pavilion (Netherlands)
Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC), an artists’ collective of Congolese plantation workers, based in Lusanga in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on a plantation formerly owned by the British-Dutch multinational Unilever, represent the Netherlands at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
CATPC holds companies like Unilever accountable for plundering their societies and forests, bringing about great poverty, and wiping out biodiversity.
Their installation at the 2024 Venice Biennale consists of a wooden statue, Balot, made in 1931, and a performance film titled The Judgement of the White Cube.
Commissioner: Mondriaan Fund
Curator: Hicham Khalidi, in collaboration with Renzo Martens
Exhibiting Artists: Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC): Djonga Bismar, Alphonse Bukumba, Irène Kanga, Muyaka Kapasa, Matthieu Kasiama, Jean Kawata, Huguette Kilembi, Mbuku Kimpala, Athanas Kindendi, Felicien Kisiata, Charles Leba, Philomène Lembusa, Richard Leta, Jérémie Mabiala, Plamedi Makongote, Blaise Mandefu, Daniel Manenga, Mira Meya, Emery Muhamba, Tantine Mukundu, Olele Mulela, Daniel Muvunzi, René Ngongo, Alvers Tamasala, Ced’art Tamasala.
Venue: Giardini
Learn more about the Dutch pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
The Portuguese Pavilion
Portugal is represented by an artistic team consisting of Mónica de Miranda (visual artist & curator), Sónia Vaz Borges and Vânia Gala (researcher & choreographer).
The group organises collective actions, using pedagogy (the study of teaching methods), sound and movement to reflect on the relationship between nature, ecology and politics.
The pavilion’s Greenhouse exhibition explores the relationship between borders, soil, land and modern-day politics of the body. To build ecologies of care in the current ecosystem, it combines land to comprehend the processes of emancipation and self-discovery. These dynamics are seen in the migrant body, as the diaspora is always moving and changing.
Commissioner: Américo Rodrigues, Direção-Geral das Artes
Curators/Exhibiting Artists: Mónica de Miranda, Sónia Vaz Borges, Vânia Gala
Venue: Palazzo Franchetti, San Marco 2842
Learn more about the Portuguese pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale
The 2024 Venice Biennale Main Exhibition: Foreigners Everywhere
Venice Biennale Arte 2024 Flyer. Source: La Biennale
The overarching art exhibition at the 2024 Venice Biennale titled Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere highlights art that was overlooked during the past century and celebrates the multiculturalism of the Global South.
The title is a jab at the wave of anti-immigrant agendas that swept through Hungary, Italy, the US, and other nations in recent years.
Adriano Pedrosa is the curator-extraordinaire behind the exhibition, drawing inspiration from a series of works started in 2004 by the Paris-born and Palermo-based Claire Fontaine collective. The works consist of neon sculptures in different colours that render in a growing number of languages the words “Foreigners Everywhere”.
The exhibition boasts contributions from 332 artists and consists of two sections: the Nucleo Contemporaneo (contemporary nucleus) and the Nucleo Storico (nucleus of stories).
The Arsenale, the historic weapons depot for the Venice Republic, is home to the Nucleo Contemporaneo section, while the International Pavilion of the Giardini – the gardens housing the national pavilions of the Biennale – is home to the Nucleo Storico.
These two sections belong to the genres of modernist and contemporary works. Still, Pedroso weaves across disparate geographies and occasionally crosses historical and contemporary lines in the exhibition presentation.
According to Apollo Magazine, Pedrosa revealed that he had been thinking about his edition of the Venice Biennale for 13 years while speaking in Venice a few weeks before the exhibition’s opening. He aimed to curate an exhibition that selected artists through a meaningful and specific framework rather than the usual ‘open-ended’ Venice concept.
You can learn more about the Foreigners Everywhere exhibition here.
FAQs
What is the theme of the Venice Art Biennale 2024?
The Venice Art Biennale 2024 is themed Stranieri Ovunque—Foreigners Everywhere. The exhibition’s primary focus is on artists of diverse backgrounds who are themselves foreigners, immigrants, expatriates, diasporics, émigrés, exiles, or refugees. It highlights their art, which has often been overlooked by the Global South over the years.
Where is the Venice Biennale 2024 taking place?
The Venice Biennale 2024 is taking place in Venice, Italy, with exhibitions hosted at the Central Pavilion (Giardini) and in the Arsenale.
How long does the Venice Biennale last?
The Venice Biennale typically lasts six months each year. The 2024 Biennale opened on April 20 and will run until November 24, 2024.
How many National Pavilions are presenting Africa-centered art?
17 National Pavilions are presenting art with African perspectives. These are the pavilions of Cameroon, Canada, Congo, Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Great Britain, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Netherlands, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Who is the artistic director of the 2024 Venice Biennale?
Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa is the artistic director and curator of the 2024 Venice Biennale 2024. He is the artistic director of the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). He was recently appointed the 2023 recipient of the Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence, given by the Central for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, New York.
