The cultural landscape of the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2024 is enriched by an extraordinary work that invites the public to immerse themselves in the art of listening.
The Italian Pavilion, titled "Due qui / To Hear," promoted by the Ministry of Culture's General Directorate of Contemporary Creativity, is distinguished by its sound and environmental installation, curated by the renowned Luca Cerizza with the assistance of Francesca Verga.
At the center of this project, artist Massimo Bartolini creates a work that goes beyond mere hearing, transforming the act of listening into a profound experience of contemplation and human connection.
Venice biennale 2024 Italy pavilion: 'Due qui / To Hear'
The path inside the Italian Pavilion reveals itself as a sensory journey, where the alternation of empty and full spaces, movements and pauses, leads visitors to unexpected encounters with works and installations of a sonic and performative nature.
Massimo Bartolini, returning to the Venice Biennale after his contribution in 2013, highlights the importance of listening as a tool for knowing oneself and others, transforming the Pavilion space into a place of reflection and contemplation.
Role of the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024
Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, stresses the profound significance of "Due qui / To Hear" in the context of the Biennale, highlighting its role in promoting intercultural dialogue through forms of expression that embrace Italian and universal traditions.
The president of the Venice Biennale, Roberto Cicutto, highlights the transformative power of listening in the artistic and social spheres, recognizing Bartolini's project as a unique opportunity for reflection and connection.
Venice biennale 2024 Italy pavilion: Luca Cerizza
The Pavilion's curator, Luca Cerizza, explains the profound connection between the project's title and the relational nature of sound, drawing inspiration from the Buddhist concept of the Bodhisattva and inviting the audience to active and participatory reflection.
Virgin Garden
Through a circular path that includes symbolic figures such as the trees of the Virgin Garden and the Thinking Bodhisattva, Bartolini's work invites contemplation and active listening, creating temporary communities united by sharing the same sound source.
Venice biennale 2024 Italy pavilion: insights
Alongside the exhibition, the Italian Pavilion offers a rich program of collateral events curated by Luca Cerizza in collaboration with Gaia Martino.
Through lectures, musical performances, readings and conversations, the program focuses on the concept of listening and its human, social, spiritual and ecological relevance.
In addition, the project will be accompanied by two publications: an exhibition guide published by Electa and an in-depth volume edited by Luca Cerizza and published by Timeo, further enriching the debate on the art of listening.
Venice biennale 2024 Italy pavilion: conclusion
The Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024 is confirmed as an extraordinary experience that celebrates the art of listening and invites the public to explore the depths of contemplation and human connection through the power of sound.
Thanks to the support of the Contemporary Creativity General Directorate of the Ministry of Culture, TOD'S and Banca Ifis, this project is an example of collaboration between public and private institutions in the field of cultural promotion, demonstrating the unifying power of art in the contemporary era.