Kurvinen inaugurates Pavilion Finland in Venice Fest

Minister of Science and Culture Antti Kurvinen, who is visiting the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia on Wednesday opened the Pavilion Finland which premieres Pilvi Takala’s video installation Close Watch, said the Ministry of Education and Culture in a press release on Thursday.

“After the COVID-19 years that have affected the entire field of art and culture, it is excellent that international gatherings focusing on art are now possible again. The exhibition in the Pavilion of Finland is a great way if showing how everyday things can suddenly look very different through art,” said Kurvinen.

“Visibility in a major event, such as the Venice Biennale, brings international boost for the magnificent Finnish modern art,” he added.

Kurvinen will also attend the opening of the Nordic Pavilion. The Nordic Pavilion, coordinated by Norway, is renamed to the Sámi Pavilion for the exhibition’s 2022 edition.

The Sàmi Pavilion shows the works by Pauliina Feodoroff, Máret Ánne Sara and Anders Sunna. The Minister will also visit the Pavilions of Estonia and Ukraine.

“At the moment, the need for international cooperation and solidarity is particularly strong. Art has a lot to offer in this respect through the encounters and discussions it enables. It also opens up new avenues for handling difficult topics,” the Minister said.

The Venice Biennale Art Festival is the oldest modern art biennale in the world. It is held every two years and it brings together exhibitions from several countries to the Giardini della Biennale park.

In 2022, 80 countries will participate in the Biennale. The Biennale will be open to the public between 23 April and 27 November 2022.

Commissioned and produced by Frame Contemporary Art Finland, the exhibition in the Pavilion of Finland is curated by Christina Li, the press release added.