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COUNCIL OF WALES ANNOUNCES ARTISTS FOR VENICE BIENNALE 2003 Date Released:14/01/03 The Arts Council of Wales today announced the artists that will represent Wales at the 50th Venice Biennale of Art later this year. The Biennale is arguably the most important event in the contemporary arts calendar, and 2003 will be the first time Wales will be represented. The selected artists are: Paul Seawright will show a group of recent photographic works, including new work commissioned for the Venice Biennale, in the two exhibition spaces in the Wales Pavilion. Cerith Wyn Evans will create a work for the exterior of the Wales Pavilion. A unique event in which two works installed in different venues are in dialogue with one another. His artwork for Wales will ‘speak‘ to its partner, across the city in the Biennale’s centre, part of the group exhibtion ‘Utopia Station’ curated by Molly Nesbit, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Rirkrit Tiravanija, where Wyn Evans has also been invited to exhibit. Simon Pope will create an artwork during the Biennale in the Green Shed. The Green Shed is a laboratory for art in a building in the grounds of the Wales Pavilion. Bethan Huws. During the Press Days that mark the opening of the Biennale, Wales will be screening the first international showing of the film Ion On by Bethan Huws. Wales’ first ever representation at the Venice Biennale of Art in 2003 has been made possible with funding from The Arts Council of Wales, the Contemporary Art Society of Wales, the British Council, the National Assembly Government of Wales, Wales Tourist Board, Wales Trade International, Arts & Business and University of Wales College, Newport. The commercial sponsors of Wales’ presence at the event are Tyˆ Nant, and the Venditto Group. In-kind support has also been provided by a variety of organisations in Wales and beyond, including the Nuova Icona Cultural Association in Venice. Wales at the Venice Biennale of Art 2003 is hosted by Wales Arts International, based in Cardiff. The Venice Biennale of Art takes place every two years in Venice and this year’s event will be open to the public from 15th June to 3rd November 2003. Wales will have its own pavilion, the former Dreher Brewery -The Ex-Birreria on the island of Giudecca. The Arts Council of Wales Chairman, Sybil Crouch says: “We are thrilled that Wales will be exhibiting at the Venice Biennale for the first time. We see this as an excellent opportunity to raise the international profile of the thriving visual arts scene in Wales and it can only enhance Wales’ reputation as a cultural nation.” The Chair of the Steering Committee, Michael Tooby says: I am delighted that four artists of such standing are to represent Wales in its first official presence at the Venice Biennale. Their work already held in high esteem, will demonstrate a rich mix of ways in which Wales’ contemporary artists can play a role on the international stage.’ Notes for Editors 1.Artists’ Biographies Paul Seawright was born in Belfast in 1965. He studied at the University of Ulster and the West Surrey College of Art and Design. He has been Head of the Photographic Research Centre at the University of Wales College, Newport, South Wales since 1994. Recent exhibitions include The Glen Dimplex Artists' Award, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (1997) and Paul Seawright, Kerlin Gallery, Dublin (1999). An exhibition of his photographs of Afganistan will open at the Imperial War Museum, London April 2003. This exhibition will be touring to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno. He is represented by Kerlin Gallery. Cerith Wyn Evans was born in South Wales in 1958. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1984 he began his artistic career as a filmmaker, making short films and working with Derek Jarman. His current practice includes the use of film and sculpture, installation, photography, neon and firework texts. Wyn Evans has exhibited extensively, including Life/Live, Musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris and Centro de Exposições do Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon (1996), Material Culture, Hayward Gallery, London (1997); Sensation, Royal Academy, London and tour (1997). Solo exhibitions include Centre for Contemporary Art, Kitakyushu, Japan (1998) and The British School at Rome (1999). In 2002 Wyn Evans exhibited at Documenta 11, Kassel, Germany and he has been selected to exhibit in the Italian Pavilion, Venice Biennale of Art 2003. He is currently exhibiting in Mexico City in a site-specific exhibition at the house of Luis Barragan as well as Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. He is represented by Jay Jopling/White Cube (London). Bethan Huws was born in Bangor, North Wales in 1961. She has exhibited widely since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1988. Solo exhibitions include the Kunstalle Bern (1990); Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1991); Museum Haus Esters, Krefeld (1993); A Concert for a Sea, Alnwick, Artangel (1993); Watercolours, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno; Kunstmuseum Bern; Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld (1998-99); Stadtische Galerie in Lembachhaus, Munich (2000); The Henry Moore Institute, Leeds (2001). Living in Paris, Bethan is currently working on a new project for the Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf. Simon Pope was born in South West England in 1966 and educated at Cardiff Institute of Higher Education. He has recently been awarded a prestigious NESTA Fellowship. This has resulted in his current sabbatical from UWIC Business School, University of Wales Institute Cardiff where he is Senior Lecturer in Interactive Media. Previous projects include IOD 4:The Web Stalker, winner of the Art category at the Webby Awards 2000; Into the Web installation for Zaha Hadid at the Millennium Dome, London; Ice Cream for Everyone; London Walking: a Handbook for Survival and Art for Networks, a survey of networked art practice for BBC Online. Recent activity includes directorship of the undergraduate Design for Interactive Media programme at UWIC, 'Art for Networks' touring exhibition with Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, Wales, executive and founder membership of 'Arwain.net', an open wireless network project in South Wales. 2. Selection The artists whose work will represent Wales were selected by the Wales at the Venice Biennale Steering Committee, working with Michael Nixon (Commissioner for Wales at the Venice Biennale) and Patricia Fleming (Curator for Wales at the Venice Biennale). 3. Steering Committee The Steering Committee is chaired by Mike Tooby, Director of the National Museums and Galleries. The other members include Deputy Chair, Martin Barlow, Director Oriel Mostyn Gallery; Gwenllian Ashley, Assistant Curator, Ceredigion Museum; Karen MacKinnon, Exhibitions Officer, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; Ann Jones, Curator of Special Projects, Arts Council Collection, Hayward Gallery; Sara Roberts, former Exhibitions Officer, British Council; Hugh Adams, writer, curator and Chairman of Cywaith Cymru.Artworks Wales. 4. Commissioner and Curator Michael Nixon is the first Commissioner for Wales at the Venice Biennale and Patricia Fleming is the Curator. Michael Nixon is the former Director of Oriel 31 and a partner in MN Arts Associates. He has been responsible for a number of international initiatives, including five recent events in Japan 2001. Patricia Fleming is the former Director of Fuse Ltd., Fly Gallery and was visual arts programmer at the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) Glasgow. 5. Background to the Biennale The Venice Biennale of Art was founded in 1895 and the 2003 Biennale will be the 50th event. (See www.labiennale.org for more information.) There are three press days, 12th , 13th, 14th June, that precede the opening on 15th June. Accreditation for the press can be obtained by going direct to the biennale website or visiting the British Council website www.britishcouncil.org Of the many visual arts festivals that are held throughout the world each year, the Venice Biennale is the most well established and highly respected by the international visual arts community and allows countries to promote their respective visual arts sectors on the international stage. It is an opportunity to make international artists, directors, curators and critics aware of contemporary visual art in Wales. The 2003 Venice Biennale of Art is the 50th and consequently a landmark for the Biennale. It is of special significance for both Wales and Scotland, since the two countries will be exhibiting for the first time in the event’s history. 6. Quotes from funding partners ‘The Welsh Assembly Government is delighted that Wales will have a first presence at the 2003 Biennale, made possible by the co-ordinated efforts of its sponsored bodies and direct Assembly support.’ Welsh Assembly Government ‘Cultural tourism is important to Wales. The Wales Tourist Board will capitalise on Wales' presence in Venice to promote our culture to the World.’ Jonathan Jones, Chief Executive Wales Tourist Board. ‘WalesTrade International is pleased to be involved in this project. It will provide an excellent opportunity to promote Welsh business’ Dave Long, Corporate Services WalesTrade International. ‘Arts & Business Cymru is delighted to support this important project. It offers a first class opportunity for the corporate sector to build new bridges with the arts, both nationally and internationally.’ Rachel Jones, Director Arts & Business Cymru For more information please contact: michael.nixon@wai.org.uk(Commissioner for Wales at the Venice Biennale)or patricia.fleming@wai.org.uk(Curator for Wales at the Venice Biennale) Wales Arts International Telephone 029 2038 3027 Please note: A dedicated website featuring extensive information relating to Wales’ presence at the Venice Biennale will be launched in March 2003. |
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