A first read on the Venice Biennale 2022

With the Venice Biennale opening in just a matter of weeks, on the 23rd of April, Artscapy is today sharing the list of artists that will feature this year. In this first article from a series on the fair, we share with you our reading of the themes of this year’s edition and the full list of artists presenting. Over the next few weeks leading up to the opening, we will be providing you with curated artist selections and insights on where you can see and acquire the artworks, so stay tuned. 

La Biennale di Venezia 2022 focuses on three main themes: the representation of bodies and their metamorphoses; the relationship between individuals and technologies; and the connection between bodies and earth.

What ties these three themes together beautifully, in our view, is the reflection of a shift from the ‘us’ to the ‘me’. Through various political, societal, and world event currents, the past few years have seen an ever accelerating explosion of expression to turn a collectivistic, almost anonymous state of existence into one where each individual being ought to be heard and respected. 

This agnostic ‘me’ has returned to an ‘us’ in a new, individualistic way, that then fuses back into society again. A new society that is shaken even more by the pandemic and especially by its subsequent post-pandemic open questions. These questions, spanning broad tangents - including gender treatment and imbalances, religious beliefs, race identity, and on - from its identity starting point continue to be augmented and echo through the amplifiers of technology, and in particular social media. 

With this premise, under the lead of the New-York based, Italian curator Cecilia Aleman this year’s Venice Biennale is titled "Il Latte dei Sogni" (The Milk of the Dreams), which takes its name form a children's book by the Surrealist artist and writer Leonora Carrington. 

“The Surrealist artist describes a magical world where life is constantly re-envisioned through the prism of the imagination, and where everyone can change, be transformed, become something and someone else. The exhibition takes us on an imaginary journey through metamorphoses of the body and definitions of humanity.” - Cecilia Alemani shared in a statement.

And so, Aleman creates multiple dialogues starting from the self/me in relation with time, technology, and nature. These dialogues then take their narratives and shapes within the so called ‘capsules’, that is, the pavilions of the Biennale.

A further, particularly interesting angle, is the reflection on the relation with time, as this year's Biennale also includes artists that are no longer with us, part of the past. As a result, there will be a chance to admire not only contemporary art but also hidden gems from the 1900’s avant-gardes of Surrealism, Futurism and Dadaism.

So, without further ado, and in anticipation of our curated selections and insights coming up, here is the full list of all the 213 artists from 58 countries presenting at this year’s 59th International Art Exhibition:

28. Noor Abuarafeh b. 1986, Jerusalem. Lives in Jerusalem and Maastricht, the Netherlands
29. Carla Accardi b. 1924, Trapani, Italy – 2014, Rome, Italy
30. Igshaan Adams b. 1982, Cape Town. Lives in Cape Town, South Africa
31. Eileen Agar b. 1899, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1991, London, UK
32. Monira Al Qadiri b. 1983, Dakar, Senegal. Lives in Berlin, Germany
33. Sophia Al-Maria b. 1983, Tacoma, USA. Lives in London, UK Pavilion of Applied Arts
34. Ozlem Altın b. 1977, Goch, Germany. Lives in Berlin, Germany
35. Marina Apollonio b. 1940, Trieste, Italy. Lives in Padua, Italy
36. Gertrud Arndt b. 1903, Ratibor (Racibórz), German Empire (present-day Poland) – 2000, Darmstadt, Germany
37. Ruth Asawa b. 1926, Norwalk, USA – 2013, San Francisco, USA
38. Shuvinai Ashoona b. 1961, Kinngait. Lives in Kinngait, Nunavut
39. Belkis Ayón b. 1967 – 1999, Havana, Cuba
40. Firelei Báez b. 1981, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Lives in New York City, USA
41. Felipe Baeza b. 1987, Guanajuato, Mexico. Lives in New York City, USA
42. Josephine Baker b. 1906, Saint Louis, USA – 1975, Paris, France
43. Djuna Barnes b. 1892 – 1982, New York City, USA
44. Mária Bartuszová b. 1936, Prague, Czechoslovakia (present-day Czech Republic) – 1996, Košice, Slovakia
45. Benedetta b. 1897, Rome, Italy – 1977, Venice, Italy
46. Mirella Bentivoglio b. 1922, Klagenfurt, Austria – 2017, Rome, Italy (In collaboration with Annalisa) Alloatti 1926 – 2000, Turin, Italy
47. Merikokeb Berhanu b. 1977, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Lives in Silver Spring, USA
48. Tomaso Binga b. 1931, Salerno, Italy. Lives in Rome, Italy
49. Cosima von Bonin b. 1962, Mombasa, Kenya. Lives in Cologne, Germany
50. Louise Bonnet b. 1970, Geneva, Switzerland. Lives in Los Angeles, USA
51. Marianne Brandt b. 1893, Chemnitz, Germany – 1983, Kirchberg, Germany
52. Kerstin Brätsch b. 1979, Hamburg, Germany. Lives in New York City, USA and Berlin, Germany
53. Dora Budor b. 1984, Zagreb, Croatia. Lives in New York City, USA
54. Eglė Budvytytė b. 1981, Kaunas, Lithuania. Lives in Vilnius, Lithuania and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In collaboration with Marija Olšauskaitè and Julija Steponaitytė b. 1989, Vilnius. Lives in Vilnius, Lithuania and New York City, USA b. 1992, Vilnius. Lives in Vilnius, Lithuania and Amsterdam, the Netherlands
55. Liv Bugge b. 1974, Oslo. Lives in Oslo, Norway
56. Simnikiwe Buhlungu b. 1995, Johannesburg. Lives in Johannesburg, South Africa and Amsterdam, the Netherlands Biennale College Arte
57. Miriam Cahn b. 1949, Basel, Switzerland. Lives in Stampa, Switzerland
58. Claude Cahun b. 1894, Nantes, France – 1954, Saint Helier, Jersey, UK
59. Elaine Cameron-Weir b. 1985, Red Deer, Canada. Lives in New York City, USA
60. Milly Canavero 1920 – 2010, Genoa, Italy
61. Leonora Carrington b. 1917, Clayton-le-Woods, UK – 2011, Mexico City, Mexico
62. Regina Cassolo Bracchi 1894, Mede, Italy – 1974, Milan, Italy b. 1981, Kaunas, Lithuania. Lives in Vilnius, Lithuania and Amsterdam, the Netherlands
63. Ambra Castagnetti b. 1993, Genoa, Italy. Lives in Milan, Italy Biennale College Arte
64. Giulia Cenci b. 1988, Cortona. Lives in Cortona, Italy and Amsterdam, the Netherlands
65. Giannina Censi b. 1913, Milan, Italy – 1995, Voghera, Italy
66. Gabriel Chaile b. 1985, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. Lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Lisbon, Portugal
67. Ali Cherri b. 1976, Beirut, Lebanon. Lives in Paris, France
68. Anna Coleman Ladd b. 1878, Bryn Mawr, USA – 1939, Santa Barbara, USA
69. Ithell Colquhoun b. 1906, Shillong, India – 1988, Lamorna, UK
70. Myrlande Constant b. 1968, Port-au-Prince. Lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
71. June Crespo b. 1982, Pamplona, Spain. Lives in Bilbao, Spain
72. Dadamaino 1930 – 2004, Milan, Italy
73. Noah Davis b. 1983, Seattle, USA – 2015, Ojai, USA
74. Lenora de Barros b. 1953, São Paulo. Lives in São Paulo, Brazil
75. Valentine de Saint-Point b. 1875, Lyon, France – 1953, Cairo, Egypt
76. Lise Deharme b. 1898, Paris, France – 1980, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
77. Sonia Delaunay b. 1885, Odessa, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine) – 1979, Paris, France
78. Agnes Denes b. 1931, Budapest, Hungary. Lives in New York City, USA
79. Maya Deren b. 1917, Kyiv, Ukraine – 1961, New York City, USA
80. Lucia Di Luciano b. 1933, Syracuse, Italy. Lives in Formello, Italy
81. Ibrahim El-Salahi b. 1930, Omdurman, Sudan. Lives in Oxford, UK
82. Sara Enrico b. 1979, Biella, Italy. Lives in Turin, Italy
83. Chiara Enzo b. 1989, Venice. Lives in Venice, Italy
84. Andro Eradze b. 1993, Tbilisi. Lives in Tbilisi, Georgia Biennale College Arte
85. Jaider Esbell b. 1979, Normandia, Brazil – 2021, São Sebastião, Brazil
86. Jana Euler b. 1982, Friedberg, Germany. Lives in Frankfurt, Germany and Brussels, Belgium
87. Minnie Evans b. 1892, Long Creek, USA – 1987, Wilmington, USA
88. Alexandra Exter b. 1882, Białystok, Russian Empire (present-day Poland) – 1949, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
89. Jadé Fadojutimi b. 1993, London. Lives in London, UK
90. Jes Fan b. 1990, Scarborough, Canada. Lives in New York City, USA and Hong Kong
91. Safia Farhat b. 1924 – 2004, Radès, Tunisia
92. Simone Fattal b. 1942, Damascus, Syria. Lives in Paris and Erquy, France
93. Célestin Faustin b. 1948, Lafond, Haiti – 1981, Pétion-Ville, Haiti
94. Leonor Fini b. 1907, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1996, Paris, France
95. Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven b. 1874, Swinemünde (Świnoujście), German Empire (present-day Poland) – 1927, Paris, France
96. Katharina Fritsch b. 1956, Essen, Germany. Lives in Wuppertal and Düsseldorf, Germany
97. Ilse Garnier b. 1927, Kaiserslautern, Germany – 2020, Saisseval, France
98. Aage Gaup b. 1943, Børselv, Sápmi/Northern Norway – 2021, Karasjok, Sápmi/Northern Norway
99. Linda Gazzera b. 1890, Rome, Italy – 1942, São Paulo, Brazil
100. Ficre Ghebreyesus b. 1962, Asmara, Eritrea – 2012, New Haven, USA
101. Elisa Giardina Papa b. 1979, Medicina, Italy. Lives in New York City, USA and Palermo, Italy
102. Roberto Gil de Montes b. 1950, Guadalajara, Mexico. Lives in La Peñita de Jaltemba, Mexico
103. Nan Goldin b. 1953, Washington, D.C., USA. Lives in New York City, USA
104. Jane Graverol b. 1905, Ixelles, Belgium – 1984, Fontainebleau, France
105. Laura Grisi b. 1939, Rhodes, Greece – 2017, Rome, Italy
106. Karla Grosch b. 1904, Weimar, Germany – 1933, Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine (present-day Israel)
107. Robert Grosvenor b. 1937, New York City, USA. Lives in East Patchogue, USA
108. Aneta Grzeszykowska b. 1974, Warsaw. Lives in Warsaw, Poland
109. Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe b. 1971, Sheroana, Venezuela. Lives in Mahekototeri and Caracas, Venezuela
110. Florence Henri b. 1893, New York City, USA – 1982, Compiègne, France
111. Lynn Hershman Leeson b. 1941, Cleveland, USA. Lives in San Francisco, USA
112. Charline von Heyl b. 1960, Mainz, Germany. Lives in New York City and Marfa, USA
113. Hannah Höch b. 1889, Gotha, Germany – 1978, Berlin, Germany
114. Jessie Homer French b. 1940, New York City, USA. Lives in Mountain Center, USA
115. Rebecca Horn b. 1944, Michelstadt, Germany. Lives in Odenwald, Germany
116. Georgiana Houghton b. 1814, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain – 1884, London, UK
117. Sheree Hovsepian b. 1974, Isfahan, Iran. Lives in New York City, USA
118. Tishan Hsu b. 1951, Boston, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
119. Marguerite Humeau b. 1986, Cholet, France. Lives in London, UK
120. Jacqueline Humphries b. 1960, New Orleans, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
121. Kudzanai-Violet Hwami b. 1993, Gutu, Zimbabwe. Lives in London, UK Biennale College Arte
122. Tatsuo Ikeda b. 1928, Saga, Japan – 2020, Tokyo, Japan
123. Saodat Ismailova b. 1981, Tashkent. Lives in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Paris, France
124. Aletta Jacobs b. 1854, Sappemeer, the Netherlands – 1929, Baarn, the Netherlands
125. Geumhyung Jeong b. 1980, Seoul. Lives in Seoul, South Korea
126. Charlotte Johannesson b. 1943, Malmö, Sweden. Lives in Skanör, Sweden
127. Loïs Mailou Jones b. 1905, Boston, USA – 1998, Washington, D.C., USA
128. Jamian Juliano-Villani b. 1987, Newark, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
129. Birgit Jürgenssen 1949 – 2003, Vienna, Austria
130. Ida Kar b. 1908, Tambov, Russia – 1974, London, UK
131. Allison Katz b. 1980, Montreal, Canada. Lives in London, UK
132. Bronwyn Katz b. 1993, Kimberley, South Africa. Lives in Johannesburg, South Africa
133. Kapwani Kiwanga b. 1978, Hamilton, Canada. Lives in Paris, France
134. Kiki Kogelnik b. 1935, Graz, Austria – 1997, Vienna, Austria
135. Barbara Kruger b. 1945, Newark, USA. Lives in Los Angeles, USA
136. Tetsumi Kudo b. 1935, Osaka, Japan – 1990, Tokyo, Japan
137. Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill b. 1979, Comox, Canada. Lives on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil- Waututh peoples
138. Louise Lawler b. 1947, Bronxville, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
139. Carolyn Lazard b. 1987, Upland, USA. Lives in New York City and Philadelphia, USA
140. Mire Lee b. 1988, Seoul, South Korea. Lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
141. Simone Leigh b. 1967, Chicago, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
142. Hannah Levy b. 1991, New York City. Lives in New York City, USA
143. Tau Lewis b. 1993, Toronto, Canada. Lives in New York City, USA
144. Shuang Li b. 1990, Wuyi Mountains, China. Lives in Berlin, Germany and Geneva, Switzerland
145. Liliane Lijn b. 1939, New York City, USA. Lives in London, UK
146. Candice Lin b. 1979, Concord, USA. Lives in Los Angeles, USA
147. Mina Loy b. 1882, London, UK – 1966, Aspen, USA
148. Antoinette Lubaki b. 1895, Bukama, Congo Free State (present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) – ?
149. LuYang b. 1984, Shanghai. Lives in Shanghai, China
150. Zhenya Machneva b. 1988, Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg), Russia. Lives in Saint Petersburg, Russia
151. Baya Mahieddine b. 1931, Fort de l’Eau (present-day Bordj El Kiffan), Algeria – 1998, Blida, Algeria
152. Maruja Mallo b. 1902, Viveiro, Spain – 1995, Madrid, Spain
153. Joyce Mansour b.1928, Bowden, UK – 1986, Paris, France
154. Britta Marakatt-Labba b. 1951, Idivuoma, Sápmi/Northern Sweden. Lives in Övre Soppero, Sápmi/Northern Sweden
155. Diego Marcon b. 1985, Busto Arsizio, Italy. Lives in Milan, Italy
156. Sidsel Meineche Hansen b. 1981, Ry, Denmark. Lives in London, UK
157. Maria Sibylla Merian b. 1647, Frankfurt am Main, Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany) – 1717, Amsterdam, Dutch Republic (present-day the Netherlands)
158. Vera Molnár b. 1924, Budapest, Hungary. Lives in Paris, France
159. Delcy Morelos b. 1967, Tierralta, Colombia. Lives in Bogotá, Colombia
160. Sister Gertrude Morgan b. 1900, LaFayette, USA – 1980, New Orleans, USA
161. Sandra Mujinga b. 1989, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lives in Oslo, Norway, and Berlin, Germany.
162. Mrinalini Mukherjee b. 1949, Bombay (present-day Mumbai), India – 2015, New Delhi, India.
163. Nadja b. 1902, Saint-André-lez-Lille, France – 1941, Bailleul, France
164. Louise Nevelson b. 1899, Pereiaslav, Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine) – 1988, New York City, USA
165. Amy Nimr b. 1898, Cairo, Egypt – 1974, Paris, France
166. Magdalene Odundo b. 1950, Nairobi, Kenya. Lives in Farnham, UK
167. Precious Okoyomon b. 1993, London, UK. Lives in New York City, USA
168. Meret Oppenheim b. 1913, Berlin, Germany – 1985, Basel, Switzerland
169. Ovartaci b. 1894, Ebeltoft, Denmark – 1985, Risskov, Denmark
170. Virginia Overton b. 1971, Nashville, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
171. Akosua Adoma Owusu b. 1984, Alexandria, USA. Lives in New York City and Cambridge, USA
172. Prabhakar Pachpute b. 1986, Sasti, India. Lives in Pune, India
173. Eusapia Palladino b. 1854, Minervino Murge, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (present-day Italy) – 1918, Naples, Italy
174. Violeta Parra b. 1917, San Fabián de Alico, Chile – 1967, Santiago, Chile
175. Rosana Paulino b. 1967, São Paulo. Lives in São Paulo, Brazil
176. Valentine Penrose b. 1898, Mont-de-Marsan, France – 1978, Chiddingly, UK
177. Elle Pérez b. 1989, New York City. Lives in New York City, USA
178. Sondra Perry b. 1986, Perth Amboy, USA. Lives in Newark, USA
179. Solange Pessoa b. 1961, Ferros, Brazil. Lives in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
180. Thao Nguyen Phan b. 1987, Ho Chi Minh City. Lives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
181. Julia Phillips b. 1985, Hamburg, Germany. Lives in Chicago, USA and Berlin, Germany
182. Joanna Piotrowska b. 1985, Warsaw. Lives in Warsaw, Poland and London, UK
183. Alexandra Pirici b. 1982, Bucharest. Lives in Bucharest, Romania
184. Anu Põder b. 1947, Kanepi, Estonia – 2013, Tallinn, Estonia
185. Gisèle Prassinos b. 1920, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) – 2015, Paris, France
186. Christina Quarles b. 1985, Chicago, USA. Lives in Los Angeles, USA
187. Rachilde b. 1860, Cros, France – 1953, Paris, France
188. Janis Rafa b. 1984, Athens. Lives in Athens, Greece and Amsterdam, the Netherlands
189. Alice Rahon b. 1904, Chenecey-Buillon, France – 1987, Mexico City, Mexico
190. Carol Rama 1918 – 2015, Turin, Italy
191. Paula Rego b. 1935, Lisbon, Portugal. Lives in London, UK
192. Edith Rimmington b. 1902, Leicester, UK – 1986, Bexhill-on-Sea, UK
193. Enif Robert b. 1886, Prato, Italy – 1974, Bologna, Italy
194. Luiz Roque b. 1979, Cachoeira do Sul, Brazil. Lives in São Paulo, Brazil
195. Rosa Rosà b. 1884, Vienna, Austria – 1978, Rome, Italy
196. Niki de Saint Phalle b. 1930, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France – 2002, La Jolla, USA
197. Giovanna Sandri 1923 – 2002, Rome, Italy
198. Pinaree Sanpitak b. 1961, Bangkok. Lives in Bangkok, Thailand
199. Aki Sasamoto b. 1980, Kanagawa, Japan. Lives in New York City, USA
200. Augusta Savage b. 1892, Green Cove Springs, USA – 1962, New York City, USA
201. Lavinia Schulz and Walter Holdt b. 1896, Lübben (Spreewald), Germany – 1924, Hamburg, Germany 1899 – 1924, Hamburg, Germany
202. Lillian Schwartz b. 1927, Cincinnati, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
203. Amy Sillman b. 1955, Detroit, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
204. Elias Sime b. 1968, Addis Ababa. Lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
205. Marianna Simnett b. 1986, London, UK. Lives in Berlin, Germany
206. Hélène Smith b. 1861, Martigny, Switzerland – 1929, Geneva, Switzerland
207. Sable Elyse Smith b. 1986, Los Angeles, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
208. Teresa Solar b. 1985, Madrid. Lives in Madrid, Spain
209. Mary Ellen Solt b. 1920, Gilmore City, USA – 2007, Santa Clarita, USA
210. P. Staff b. 1987, Bognor Regis, UK. Lives in London, UK and Los Angeles, USA
211. Sophie Taeuber-Arp b. 1889, Davos, Switzerland – 1943, Zürich, Switzerland
212. Toshiko Takaezu b. 1922, Pepeekeo, USA – 2011, Honolulu, USA
213. Emma Talbot b. 1969, Stourbridge, UK. Lives in London, UK
214. Dorothea Tanning b. 1910, Galesburg, USA – 2012, New York City, USA
215. Bridget Tichenor b. 1917, Paris, France – 1990, Mexico City, Mexico
216. Tecla Tofano b. 1927, Naples, Italy – 1995, Caracas, Venezuela
217. Josefa Tolrà b. 1880 – 1959, Cabrils, Spain
218. Tourmaline b. 1983, Boston, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
219. Toyen b. 1902, Prague, Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Czech Republic) – 1980, Paris, France
220. Rosemarie Trockel b. 1952, Schwerte, Germany. Lives in Berlin, Germany
221. Wu Tsang b. 1982, Worcester, USA. Lives in Zürich, Switzerland
222. Kaari Upson b. 1970, San Bernardino, USA – 2021, New York City, USA
223. Andra Ursuta b. 1979, Salonta, Romania. Lives in New York City, USA
224. Grazia Varisco b. 1937, Milan. Lives in Milan, Italy
225. Remedios Varo b. 1908, Anglès, Spain – 1963, Mexico City, Mexico
226. Sandra Vásquez de la Horra b. 1967, Viña del Mar, Chile. Lives in Berlin, Germany
227. Marie Vassilieff b. 1884, Smolensk, Russia – 1957, Nogent-sur-Marne, France
228. Cecilia Vicuña b. 1948, Santiago, Chile. Lives in New York City, USA
229. Nanda Vigo 1936 – 2020, Milan, Italy
230. Marianne Vitale b. 1973, East Rockaway, USA. Lives in New York City, USA
231. Raphaela Vogel b. 1988, Nuremberg, Germany. Lives in Berlin, Germany
232. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller b. 1877, Philadelphia, USA – 1968, Framingham, USA
233. Laura Wheeler Waring b. 1887, Hartford, USA – 1948, Philadelphia, USA
234. Ulla Wiggen b. 1942, Stockholm. Lives in Stockholm, Sweden
235. Mary Wigman b. 1886, Hanover, Germany – 1973, Berlin, Germany
236. Müge Yilmaz b. 1985, Istanbul, Turkey. Lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
237. Frantz Zéphirin b. 1968, Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. Lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
238. Zheng Bo b. 1974, Beijing, China. Lives on Lantau Island, Hong Kong
239. Unica Zürn b. 1916, Berlin, Germany – 1970, Paris, France
240. Portia Zvavahera b. 1985, Harare. Lives in Harare, Zimbabwe