Canadian pavilion explained

The Canadian pavilion houses Canada's national representation during the Venice Biennale arts festivals.

Organization and building

The Canadian pavilion was designed by the Italian architects BBPR and erected between 1956 and 1957. Its architecture is more distinct than the nearby pavilions. Inside, its rooms unfold in a spiral of open and closed spaces.

The nation has been participating in the international exhibition since 1952.^[1] The National Gallery of Canada took over the Venice selection process from the Canada Council in 2010.

Representation by year

Since 1952 Canada has been represented at every Venice Biennale.

• 1952 — Emily Carr, David Milne, Goodridge Roberts, Alfred Pellan
• 1954 — B C Binning, Paul-Émile Borduas, Jean-Paul Riopelle
• 1956 — Jack Shadbolt, Louis Archambault, Harold Town
• 1958 — James Wilson Morrice, Jacques de Tonnancour, Anne Kahane, Jack Nichols
• 1960 — Edmund Alleyn, Graham Coughtry, Jean Paul Lemieux, Frances Loring, Albert Dumouchel
• 1962 — Jean-Paul Riopelle
• 1964 — Harold Town, Elza Mayhew
• 1966 — Alex Colville, Yves Gaucher, Sorel Etrog
• 1968 — Ulysse Comtois, Guido Molinari
• 1970 — Michael Snow
• 1972 — Gershon Iskowitz, Walter Redinger
• 1976 — Greg Curnoe
• 1978 — Ron Martin, Henry Saxe
• 1980 — Collin Campbell, Pierre Falardeau & Julien Poulin, General Idea, Tom Sherman, Lisa Steele
• 1982 — Paterson Ewen
• 1984 — Ian Carr-Harris, Liz Magor
• 1986 — Melvin Charney, Krzysztof Wodiczko
• 1988 — Roland Brener, Michel Goulet
• 1990 — Geneviève Cadieux^[2]
• 1993 — Robin Collyer
• 1995 — Edward Poitras (curator: Gerald McMaster)^[3]
• 1997 — Rodney Graham^[4] (curator: Loretta Yarlow)^[5]
• 1999 — Tom Dean
• 2001 — Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller (Curator: Scott Watson)
  • 2003 — Jana Sterbak 2005 — Rebecca Belmore (curators: Jann LM Bailey and Scott Watson)^[6]
• 2007 — David Altmejd (curator: Louise Déry)^[7]
• 2009 — Mark Lewis (curator: Barbara Fischer)^[8]
• 2011 — Steven Shearer (curator: Josée Drouin-Brisebois)^[9]
• 2013 — Shary Boyle^[10] (curator: Josée Drouin-Brisebois)^[11]
• 2015 — BGL (curator: Marie Fraser)^[12]
• 2017 — Geoffrey Farmer^[13] (curator: Kitty Scott)^[14]
• 2019 — Isuma (curators: Asinnajaq, executive director and chief curator of the Art Gallery of Alberta Catherine Crowston, senior curator of contemporary art at the National Gallery of Canada Josée Drouin-Brisebois, executive director and chief curator Art Museum at the University of Toronto Barbara Fischer and independent curator and writer Candice Hopkins.^[15]
• 2021 — Stan Douglas^[16] (curator: Reid Shier)^[17]
• 2024 — Kapwani Kiwanga (curator: Gaëtane Verna)^[18]

Bibliography

• Web site: Russeth . Andrew . The Venice Biennale: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know . . 2019-04-17 . en-US . 2019-04-22 . mdy-all . April 20, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190420132701/http://www.artnews.com/2019/04/17/the-venice-biennale-everything-you-could-ever-want-to-know/ . live .
• Book: Volpi, Cristiana . Re Rebaudengo . Adele . 2013 . Pavilions and Garden of Venice Biennale . 189 . Canada . Contrasto . Rome . 978-88-6965-440-4 .

Further reading

• Web site: A look back at 50 years of Canadian artists at the Venice Biennale . CBC . 2022-04-21 . en . 2022-04-23 . mdy-all . April 21, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220421210454/https://www.cbc.ca/arts/a-look-back-at-50-years-of-canadian-artists-at-the-venice-biennale-1.6426341 . live .
• Belisle . Jean-Francoise . Canadian voices at the Venice Biennale: The production of a Canadian image through the Venice Biennale between 1988 and 2005 . 2007 . English . Concordia University (Canada) . M.A. . Canada . . mdy-all .
• Buchanan . Donald William, 1908-1966 . Biennale of Venice welcomes Canada . . 9 . 4 . 144–147 . 1952-01-03 . 08253854 . . mdy-all .
• Buchanan . D. W. . Canada builds a pavilion at Venice; with French summary . . 15 . 29–75 . January 1958 . 08253854 . . mdy-all .
• Cameron . Dorothy . Summer '70: the crisis of Canada international; Venice . . 27 . 41 . December 1970 . . mdy-all .
• Diggon . Elizabeth . The politics of cultural power: Canadian participation at the venice and São Paulo biennials, 1951-1958 . 2012 . English . Queen's University (Canada) . M.A. . Canada . . mdy-all .
• Book: Legault . Rejean . The Canada Pavilion at the Venice Biennale . 2020 . English . 978-88-7439-884-3 . 5 Continents Editions . Ottawa . mdy-all .
• Reactions to Canada's art at Venice . . 15 . 300 . November 1958 . 08253854 . . mdy-all .
• Reesor . Carol Jane Harrison . The chronicles of the National Gallery of Canada of the Venice Biennale . 1995 . English . Concordia University (Canada) . M.A. . Canada . . mdy-all .
• Web site: Rose . Jessica . Canada Pavilion reveals restoration during 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale . . 2018-05-29 . 2019-05-12 . mdy-all . May 12, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512161744/https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/canada-pavilion-bbpr-restoration-venice . live .

External links

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Notes and References

1. Web site: ARTINFO's Comprehensive Guide to the 2011 Venice Biennale National Pavilions . ARTINFO . Louise Blouin Media . May 30, 2011 . October 22, 2011 . November 6, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111106204130/http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/33767/artinfos-comprehensive-guide-to-the-2011-venice-biennale-national-pavilions . live .
2. [Michael Kimmelman]
3. Web site: Inuit art foundation .
4. Peggy Gale (June 25, 1997), Rodney Graham Prepares for the 1997 Venice Biennale Canadian Art.
5. Web site: Canadian Art magazine .
6. Web site: Belkin Website .
7. Web site: UQAM website .
8. Web site: eflux .
9. Web site: newswire .
10. http://www.toronto.com/article/733967
11. Web site: newswire .
12. Web site: NGC website .
13. Marsha Lederman (December 11, 2015), Vancouver-based installation artist Geoffrey Farmer to represent Canada at Venice Biennale The Globe and Mail.
14. Web site: Canadian Art Magazine .
15. Web site: inuit art foundation website .
16. Alex Greenberger (January 15, 2020), Stan Douglas, Leading Video Artist with an Eye Toward the Marginalized, Will Represent Canada at 2021 Venice Biennale ARTnews.
17. Web site: NGC Website .
18. Maximilíano Durón (26 January 2023), Rising Star Kapwani Kiwanga to Represent Canada at 2024 Venice Biennale ARTnews.