SINGAPORE – Multidisciplinary artist Robert Zhao will represent Singapore at the Venice Biennale in 2024.
The 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (Biennale Arte 2024) will be held in the Italian city from April 20 to Nov 24.
Curator Haeju Kim completes Singapore’s artistic team, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) announced in a statement on Friday. The SAM has been commissioned by the National Arts Council to organise the Singapore Pavilion in 2023.
Zhao, 40, told The Straits Times he was honoured to be chosen and excited to share his work with a global audience.
“I hope my exhibition will be an experiential and experimental space where visitors can access the rich multiplicity of histories, perspectives and layers of reality that constitute secondary forests and other marginal spaces,” he said.
“In Singapore and around the world, secondary forests – or forests that have sprung up over disturbed or degraded land – are typically seen as wastelands with ‘unimportant’ and invasive species, though their environmental value has slowly been recuperated by some ecologists. To me, they provide important visions of resilience, flourishing and regeneration in an always already-compromised world.”
Dr Eugene Tan, co-chair of the commissioning panel and director of SAM, said in a statement: “The strength and trajectory of Robert Zhao’s artistic practice and research has convinced the commissioning panel of his ability to present a thought-provoking presentation that speaks to contemporary global issues.”
This year’s selection process involved a commissioning panel comprising representatives from the arts community who assessed candidates’ research and practice as well as visiting artists’ studios.
This is the 11th year Singapore is participating at the prestigious event which showcases contemporary art from all over the world.
Those curious about Zhao’s work can check out Albizia, commissioned by the Esplanade as part of the Studios season. Drawing on his interest in Singapore’s secondary forests, this immersive performance installation is on at the Esplanade Theatre Studio from Aug 31 to Sept 3.
