Venice
SafePlanet at the 54th Venice Biennale, June 2 - 4, 2011
Venice, the city built on water, hosts the most prestigious and oldest of all international art exhibitions in the world every other year. What better place to talk about marine pollution?
“Map and Sip” is an intervention with the public during the gala opening days of the Venice Biennale by artist Barbara Benish. For over a century this has been one of the most revered cultural events in the world. Ever since its foundation in 1895, the Venice Biennale has been in the avant-garde, promoting new artistic trends and organizing international events in contemporary arts. This event, which draws the international paparazzi and influential collectors, gallerists and museum directors to every outdoor café in Venice, gathers people from all over the world to view and discuss cutting edge art.
As part of ArtDialogue’s contribution to the education and outreach of the Safe Planet Campaign’s goals, the artist is placing 1000 paper place mats in local cafes, with an image and text on plastic pollution in the seas. The original painted image, inspired by the digital satellite maps of scientists Nikolai Maxemenko and Jan Hafner of the University of Hawai’i which trace plastic pollution through the seas and in the gyres, is also being shown at a local gallery in Venice. Visitors to the Biennale will have visual information and inspiration on the plight of the ocean every time they sip a cappuccino in between art events.
Info on 5Gyres Institute and Safe Planet are also reproduced on the mats.
The theme of the 54th Venice Biennale was IllumiNATIONS, curated by Bice Curiger.
Opening reception: June 1, 6 p.m. Curated by Doran Polak and Amir Cohen, the International Artist’s Museum (Israel/Poland)