| I was recently thinking about the work of Ragnar | | | | |
| Kjartansson, the young artist representing Iceland at | | | | Now, over a century later, the Venice Biennale is still a |
| this year's Venice Biennale (whom I blogged about a | | | | major art fair--one of the most important in the |
| few weeks ago). Isn't it interesting, I thought to myself, | | | | world--which has expanded to include satellite fairs, |
| that his work is supposed to represent the entire | | | | festivals within the biennal (such as film festivals) and |
| country of Iceland. What makes his work distinctly | | | | more. But the tradition of national pavilions remains, |
| Icelandic? And what is so American about Bruce | | | | despite the fact that we undeniably live in a time of |
| Nauman's conceptual pieces, for that matter? With the | | | | postnationalism. Postnationalism, for those who need |
| advent of technology--and particularly that speedy | | | | a definition, is the understanding that with the |
| mechanism which keeps us all "connected", the | | | | globalization of economy, business, communication, |
| internet--the art world has indubitably expanded to | | | | and yes, the arts, we no longer self-identify in national |
| international scope, but how many artists think in | | | | terms, but global ones. |
| national terms? To put it more bluntly: is it outdated to | | | | |
| be conceiving of art fairs and biennials by nationality? | | | | British artist Steve McQueen addressed these issues |
| | | | | of nationalism at the Venice Biennale by showing a film |
| The Venice Biennale has a long history stretching back | | | | that captures the shabby, derelict ruins of the national |
| to 1895, when it was one of many international fairs | | | | pavilions before they are made spic and span for the |
| created in the spirit of internationalism and curiosity, | | | | art fair. According to an article from The |
| eclecticism and exoticism. The nationalistic chauvinism | | | | Independent, he noted, "[In the film] the American |
| of the Venice Biennale, World Expo (also called | | | | pavilion looks like a real façade, it was not particularly |
| World's Fair) and other fairs was especially fresh; | | | | solid, it had boarded windows, there was a siren going |
| many European countries had undergone revolutions | | | | off. It was derelict. But see it now (at the biennale) and |
| and governmental changes in the nineteenth century, | | | | its all new and shiny." |
| resulting in completely new states. Germany was | | | | |
| unified into a modern nation-state in 1871; Italy finalized | | | | A critique of the superficiality of national chauvinism is |
| its unification with the repossession of the Papal State | | | | apparent. As McQueen said himself, "These [national] |
| from the French in 1870; France, too, had established | | | | lines are always blurred. The idea of nationalism is |
| the Third Republic at the end of the Franco-Prussian | | | | imposed on us. At certain moments, these lines are |
| war, also in 1870 (dates taken from Wikipedia). These | | | | blurred, and sometimes they don't exist." |
| toddler nation-states, among others, were proud and | | | | |
| eager to formalize a national cultural heritage to solidify | | | | I understand that the national organization of the |
| a political one. | | | | exhibition is a very basic method of efficient |
| | | | | organization: with hundreds of thousands of artists |
| The other function of the world cultural fair was, of | | | | across the world, the curators need some kind of |
| course, educational. Although a strong bourgeois class | | | | systematization, and the easiest way to do that is to |
| had emerged in the nineteenth century, it would still be | | | | have a curatorial team in Madrid take care of the |
| several decades before world travel became a | | | | Spaniards, a curatorial team in Buenos Aires scope out |
| pastime for the middle class; travel was still a | | | | the Argentine offerings, etc. But must the artists then |
| time-consuming and expensive enterprise, exclusive | | | | be exhibited by their country? What if the Biennale |
| only to the wealthy. The world fairs and exhibitions | | | | was organized more thematically? The pavilion of |
| were the only means to introduce most Europeans to | | | | artists who address political persecution? The pavilion |
| the cultural and artistic heritages of many countries, | | | | of artists who address environmental issues? In this |
| near and far. The assemblage and | | | | postnational world, would thematic pavilions not more |
| compartmentalization of cultures did also have that the | | | | swiftly highlight our human similarities rather than |
| effect of Darwinian scrutiny or circus sideshow awe, | | | | artificial national differences? I ask again: How |
| as Europeans marveled at the exotic people and | | | | relevant are these national divides in the art world? |
| places represented. | | | | |