Kooness team spent six days at the Biennale and around during the preview’s days in Venice. We picked up some highlights, among the National pavilions and the extraordinary exhibitions that opened this week...

Highlights that represent a good starting point to understand this great show and enjoy it. We did a selection of ten places where to be according to the quality of the works, the artists attitude, their messages and the aesthetic of their art. Here our latest articles about the most important artistic contributions of this 58th Venice Biennale:

Venice 2019 | Prada Vs Pinault - Venice Biennale 2019 What to see and Where to go? - Ralph Rugoff's "May You Live in Interesting Times" - Milovan Farronato and the Italian Pavillon.

1. Arsenale main show...

The curator Ralph Rugoff created an interesting group show. In the Arsenale each single work – videos, paintings and installations – seems to be the outcome of a good study and selection of what has been going on in the last two years in the art world, both from a social-political perspective, that from the one related to the market. In this historical place good paintings – Henry Taylor and Nicole Eisenman are good examples thanks to their canvases, - impressive videos – both footage than 3D ones – and sophisticated installations, such as Haris Epaminonda traces, or Neïl Beloufa new video settings at the Giardini, are in a good dialogue. The big exhibition at the Giardini, with the same artists but different works, does not have the same quality, and it looks more like a colored and full Circus, also to quote the energetic event by Alterazioni Video that lasted three days at Fondamenta Zattere, which was absolutely worth it to experience. Ed Atkins rocked it. His dense installation at the beginning of the Arsenale group show is one of the most significant stories to see and absorb. The narrative videos are aesthetically dramatic, and the cynical message is tangible especially in one body of work. Alex Da Corte, Jon Rafman and Hito Steyerl videos need time and concentration too, together with a new entry, Martine Gutierrez, that uses her body in a dialogue with a post-human world in photography, where everything seems beautiful, but is actually fake.

2. Swiss Pavilion...

Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz’ video is magnetic. A long take – that slowly moves back and forth – shows to the public performers that dialogue with body movements as in a sort of dance theatre.

3. Arshile Gorky retrospective at Ca’ Pesaro and Luc Tuymans la Pelle at Palazzo Grassi...

These two exhibitions have to be seen for paintings lovers, but also to refresh art history knowledge, as in the case of Gorky works and character. Once you are at Ca’ Pesaro, take at least one hour to visit the museum amazing collection. For Tuymans and painting addicted, this is a good path to understand the evolution of his sophisticated paintings, with a focus on portraits.

4. Lithuanian Pavilion...

This living and singing installation is touching and vivid. The piece Sun & Sea (Marina) represents this Biennale revelation for the debated topic of climate change, and also for the choreography of a contemporary human tableau vivant.

5. Alberto Burri. Fondazione Giorgio Cini...

This elegant retrospective deals with the Italian artist painting approach. A special focus is on the black paintings. Take a boat and go to see this show.

6. Jannis Kounellis. Fondazione Prada, Ca’ Corner della Regina...

There are few things to write about this touching retrospective – the first and most completed one after the artist’s death. As the curator Germano Celant writes on the show pamphlet, the only thing missing is the artist himself.

7. Fondation Louis Vuitton and Philippe Parreno...

Fondation Louis Vuitton invited Philippe Parreno to create a one-shot immersive experience in the top room of Vuitton Venice shop. On that floor in fact, the Fondation always creates a good experience through art, as it was at the last Biennale thanks to Pierre Huyghe's video. Also, if you walk out the Parreno’s light and dark installation made by a big Marquee that reflects in a mirror, there is also a “surprise” by Daniel Buren.

8. USA Pavilion...

Many people did not like this show. Maybe because from the United States the audience often expects “colors” and fullness. But we did like it. The artist Martin Puryear chose a simple and refined path of iconic sculpture as to create a narrative idea of the American power through a serious, but ironic, at the same time, point of view.

9. Belgium Pavilion...

Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys installation could be a little bit more theatrical, but the automated and disturbing puppets are interesting and disquieting. The audience is already prepared since the title is Mondo Cane that, as the quoted movie from the ‘70s, did not depict a positive world where to live.

10. Italian Pavilion...

A personal choice of the curator Milovan Farronato is interesting and complex. The curator literally creates a labyrinth through the dialogue of various works by artists from 3 generations: Liliana Moro, Chiara Fumai and Enrico David.

*Cover images: Pavilion of BELGIUM, Mondo Cane. 58th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live In Interesting Times. Photo by Francesco Galli. Courtesy.

Highlights of this Venice Biennale...