SVA Faculty and Alumni at the 2015 Venice Biennale

March 17, 2015

Work by seven SVA alumni and faculty will be included in the 2015 Venice Biennale, one of the art world’s most prestigious venues for exhibition. Taking the name and theme of All the World’s Futures, the 56th edition of the Biennale is curated by Nigerian critic, poet and art historian Okwui Enwezor, and takes place May 9 through November 22.

SVA alumni and faculty participating are MFA Fine Arts faculty member Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan-born multimedia artist best known for her large-scale collages on Mylar; Adrian Piper (1969 Fine Arts), a first-generation conceptual artist and philosopher; MFA Fine Arts, MFA Art Practice and BFA Fine Arts faculty member Gary Simmons (BFA 1988 Fine Arts), known for his interpretations of American icons and stereotypes; Lorna Simpson (BFA 1982 Photography), who rose to fame for her photographic and text works, and became the first African American woman ever to participate in the Venice Biennale in 1990; Mika Rottenberg (BFA 2001 Fine Arts), a video installation artist who uses women with physical eccentricities as allegory; Sarah Sze (MFA 1997 Fine Arts), who represented the United States in the 55th Venice Biennale, known for her sprawling installations melding sculpture, painting and architecture; and Anton Vidokle (BFA 1988 Fine Arts), founder of the art journal e-flux and a renown organizer of art-centered events.

As for what kind of work to expect from these alumni at the 2015 Venice Biennale, Mutu, Piper, Simmons and Simpson often create art that centers on race, class and societal division, while Rottenberg’s pieces tend to explore issues of labor and class inequality. Vidokle’s work also addresses societal conventions and revolution, and he has created socially innovative events such as the Time/Bank, a platform for which those involved in the arts can exchange time and skills, without the use of money.

For more information about the 56th Venice Biennale, click here.