The Boards representing the members of The Nordic Commission have together adopted a new format for future collaboration in the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. This will take effect with the next Venice biennale in 2011. To revitalise the exhibiting conditions for this important manifestation, one Nordic country will take responsibility for the management and curating of the exhibition in the pavilion. The rotation begins with Sweden in 2011, Finland in 2013 and Norway in 2015. The two countries not responsible for the pavilion, will establish alternative venues in Venice during the Biennale period independently, at yet to be designated venues.
In 2009, the groundbreaking exhibition 'The Collectors', curated by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset brought together for the first time the Nordic and Danish Pavilions in a single project. This exhibition and its investigation of alternative modes of presenting art within the Biennale context received critical and audience acclaim, and the curators were awarded a Special Mention by the Jury of the Biennale. Continuing this ongoing discussion about alternative models of display, and in an attempt to question established approaches to exhibition making in the Biennale, the members of the Nordic Committee and their respective boards have agreed to explore the diverse possibilities that Venice offers, and create autonomous platforms for Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish representation. After 40 years of working according to one model, the impulse for adopting this decision comes from an interest in exploring new formats of national representation, in different locations and in parallel to the Nordic Pavilion in the Giardini, with a view to allowing each country greater flexibility in the choice of artists, works and means of expression and presentation. This will further promote new interpretations for curating in the context of the Biennale, benefit artists and their practice, and contribute to an enhanced dialogue and exchange with international audiences.
The next edition of the Venice Biennale will take place from June to November 2011.
The Nordic Committee is composed of FRAME – Finnish Fund for Art Exchange in Helsinki, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and Office for Contemporary Art Norway in Oslo. The Committee will continue to be active throughout this time, and plans to review its model of collaboration at the end of the six-year period (2017).
For press inquiries and more information on this announcement, please contact Marthe Tveitan at marthe@oca.no.