The Venice Biennale has for over a century been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Established in 1895, the Biennale has an attendance today of over 400,000 visitors at the Art Exhibition. The Biennale dates back from 1895, when the first International Art Exhibition was organized. In the 1930s new festivals were born: Music, Cinema, and Theatre (the Venice Film Festival in 1932 was the first film festival ever organised). In 1980 the first Architecture Exhibition took place, and in 1999 Dance made its debut at the Venice Biennale.
The Venice Biennale remains the most important international showcase for contemporary arts. The biennial International Art and Architecture Exhibitions offer a unique opportunity for Ireland to showcase Irish imaginations to the world. The Biennale is a vital platform for Irish artists, curators and commissioners to gain international profile and to generate opportunities for them to present their work outside of Ireland. Irish artists Norah McGuinness and Nano Reid, were the first of many Irish artists to exhibit at the Venice Biennale in 1950.
Since 2005, national representation at the Venice Biennale has been an initiative of Culture Ireland, in partnership with the Arts Council. Both agencies consider the Venice Biennale to be an important opportunity for artists' development and for Irish curators to work in an international context.
Culture Ireland is the state agency for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide, working under the aegis of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Culture Ireland creates and supports opportunities for Irish artists to present their work at strategic international festivals, venues, showcases and arts markets. The agency comprises a board appointed by the Minister and an executive staff led by the Chief Executive.
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon was established in 1951 and for 60 years has been the statutory agency for funding, developing and promoting the arts in Ireland. It works in partnership with artists, arts organisations, public policy makers and others to build a central place for the arts in Irish life. See www.artscouncil.ie for further information on the Arts Council and on its Strategic Overview for the 2011-2013 period.
Irish participation at the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions
2011
The 54th International Art Exhibition, with the title of ILLUMInations, directed by Bice Curiger, opens on June 3 and will be accessible to the public from June 4 to November 27, 2011.
Commissioner: Emily-Jane Kirwan
Artist: Corban Walker
Curator: Eamonn Maxwell
Exhibition Partners: Crawford College of Art and Design, Lismore Castle Arts, the Pace Gallery and the American Ireland Fund.
In 2011, Irish artist Gerard Byrne will exhibit a new work at the Venice Biennale at the invitation of the Director, Bice Curiger, and with support from Culture Ireland.
2010
The 12th International Architecture Exhibition.
Exhibition: of de Blacam and Meagher
Commissioner: Irish Architecture Foundation, under the directorship of Nathalie Weadick
Curators: Tom dePaor, Peter Maybury, Alice Casey, Cian Deegan
Exhibition Partners: Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland: Italy.
2009
The 53rd International Art Exhibition, titled Making Worlds, was directed by Daniel Birnbaum, and took place from June 7 to November 22, 2009.
Commissioner/Curator: Caoimhín Corrigan
Artists: Sarah Browne, Gareth Kennedy, Kennedy Browne
Exhibition Partners: Office of Public Works, Farmleigh Gallery, National College of Art and Design, The Dock, Centre Culturel Irlandais and Leitrim County Council.
In 2009, Irish artist John Gerard exhibited a new work at the Venice Biennale [with support from Culture Ireland].
2008
The 11th International Architecture Exhibition.
Exhibition: The Lives of Spaces
Co-Commissioner/Co-Curator: Nathalie Weadick, Director, Irish Architecture Foundation
Hugh Campbell, Senior Lecturer, University College Dublin
Exhibitors: Hassett-Ducatez, Simon Walker & Patrick Lynch, McCullough-Mulvin, Gerry Cahill Architects, Grafton Architects, dePaor architects, TAKA, O’Donnell + Tuomey, Dara McGrath.
Exhibition Partners: Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the Embassy of Ireland: Italy, the Irish Architecture Foundation and University College Dublin.
2007
The 52nd International Art Exhibition was directed by Robert Storr and ran from June 10 to November 21, 2007.
Exhibition: Selected works including *ZAN–*T185, Homme à Femmes (Michel Debrane),1984 and Beyond and A Country Road, A Tree. Evening.
Commissioner: Mike Fitzpatrick
Artist: Gerard Byrne
Exhibition Partners: Office of Public Works, Farmleigh Gallery, Murray O Laoire Architects, DHL Ireland, Limerick City Council, IADT, Green on Red Gallery, Carr Associates, Embassy of Ireland [Rome], British Council [Ireland], Lisson Gallery [London], Fingal County Council.
2006
The 10th International Architecture Exhibition.
Exhibition: SubUrban to SuperRural
Commissioner: Shane O’Toole, Commissioner for Irish Architecture Foundation, Ciarán ÓGaora, Deputy Commissioner
Curators: Michelle Fagan, Paul Kelly, Gary Lysaght, FKL Architects
Exhibitors: Boyd Cody Architects, Bucholz | McEvoy Architects, dePaor architects, FKL architects, Henchion+Reuter Architects, heneghan.peng.architects, MacGabhann Architects, ODOS architects, dominic stevens architect.
Exhibition Partners: The Devey Group, with additional support from the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and Tegral and with the co-operation in Venice of Nuova Icona.
2005,
The 51st International Art Exhibition ran from June 12 to November 6 and presented two distinct yet complementary exhibitions, The Experience of Art, directed by María de Corral, and Always a little further directed by Rosa Martínez.
Exhibition: Ireland at Venice 2005 was a large group show with 7 artists represented.
Commissioner: Sarah Glennie
Artists: Stephen Brandes, Mark Garry, Ronan McCrea, Isabel Nolan, Sarah Pierce, Walker and Walker.
Exhibition partners: The Lewis Glucksman Gallery, IADT – Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology through the MA in Visual Arts Practices; Embassy of Ireland, Rome; The Irish Museum of Modern Art; Limerick School of Art and Design/ L.I.T; Sculptors’ Society of Ireland.
2004
The 9th International Architecture Exhibition.
Exhibition: Letterfrack—Transformation of an institution
Commissioner: Shane O’Toole, Commissioner and Paul Kelly, Deputy Commissioner
Exhibitors: O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects
2003
The 50th International Art Exhibition ran from 15 June to 2 November, 2003 under the artistic directorship of Francesco Bonami. The theme of the exhibition was Dreams and Conflicts.
Commissioner: Valerie Connor
Artist: Katie Holten
2002
The 8th International Architecture Exhibition.
Exhibition: Limerick County Hall
Commissioner: Raymund Ryan
Exhibitors: Bucholz, McEvoy Architects
2000
The 7th International Architecture Exhibition.
Exhibition: N3
Commissioner: Raymund Ryan
Exhibitors: Tom dePaor
Other Irish artists who have exhibited work at Venice include:
2001 Siobhan Hapaska and Grace Weir
1999 Anne Tallentire
1997 Jaki Irvine and Alistair McLennan
1995 Kathy Prendergast
1993 Dorothy Cross and Willie Doherty
1960 Patrick Scott
1956 Louis le Brocquy and Hilary Heron
1950 Norah McGuinness and Nano Reid
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