Art Class: Diaspora Pavilion @ the Biennale
I was inspired to go to the diaspora pavilion this year to see the work of the late and great Khadija Saye, a talented young artist from west London who passed away in earlier this year. She was a talented photographer and very close to one of my dearest friends. There are no words that can express the grief and anger her loved ones must be facing and it makes my heart ache to see such a talented artist's life cut short. I wanted to see her photo series because they draw inspiration from her background, heritage and cultural connections, something that many children growing up in a different society from their culture often struggle to make sense of. I truly wish I could have seen more of her work but it was a unique moment to be able to experience her work right here in Venice.
This part of the Biennale is not in Arsenale or Giardini so one must search up Palazzo Pisani S Marina in Venice. It's a five minute walk from Rialto bridge. It's run by the International Curators Forum and University of Arts London and features London-based artists from a variety of backgrounds.
The Pavillion is full of some really great pieces, photography, a bathroom full of golden glitter tape? streamers? what exactly do you call it? A library where all the books are covered in Kente cloth. Showcasing cultures, sculptures, painting drawing inspiration from each artist's background. I think this was honestly one of the best exhibitions I have seen in the Biennale (I still haven't seen the Montenegro or Estonian Pavilions so...)
I will leave you guys to see this one. You only have a couple of days left though. The Biennale is almost over!
On a side note, on my way to another exhibition one day with my trusty camera, I ran into the exhibition for Frank Walter at the Antigua and Barbuda Pavilion not too far from the Zattere area in Venice. This exhibition was also fantastic. It detailed the life of the artist Frank Walter thought paintings, sculpture and audio. He was a fantastic artist from the Carribean and an incredibly intellectual and eccentric character. www.frankwalter.org should give you more information as to his history, work and this brilliant, yet completely underrated exhibition.
