A look at The European Cultural Centre’s massive forthcoming show in Venice

The European Cultural Centre (ECC) brings 200 artists from 51 countries together for the seventh edition of its biennale, Personal Structures, coinciding with the Venice Art Biennale 2024 in Venice, Italy. The non-profit organisation was formed in 2002 and is based in the Netherlands. It has an ongoing commitment to fostering cultural exchange and amplifying diverse voices in the arts. The theme for Personal Structures 2024 is Beyond Boundaries, an exploration of the complex network of interconnected identities and perspectives that shape the global cultural landscape. Personal Structures: Beyond Boundaries is on view at the Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora and the Marinaressa Gardens starting April 20, 2024, with opening events on April 18 and 19. In the first of these events at Marinaressa Gardens, Amit Gupta, Founder and Editor in Chief of STIRworld, will deliver a keynote speech that highlights the immediacy of uniting artistic voices from across the globe and reflects on the current state of contemporary art. Ahead of the exhibition that runs parallel to the Venice Biennale, STIR sat down with Sara Danieli, Head of Art, ECC-Italy, to discuss Personal Structures 2024, and reflect on previous editions of the exhibition.

"Delving into the challenges of global migration and the intricate web of national identities, Personal Structures emerges as a vital artistic dialogue, transcending borders and reflecting the complexities of our interconnected world," Danieli says in a press release. This year’s iteration of the biennale will align with past editions by presenting a diverse body of art but will also separate itself by focusing deeper than ever before on the transformative power of art.

“The past editions served as reflections and journeys through the current context of their time,” Danieli tells STIR. “In 2019, Personal Structures focused on the topic of identities, addressing the significant social and cultural challenges brought about by global migration. This led to a closer examination of personal identity influenced by interactions with diverse cultures. The exhibition aimed to foster awareness of these issues by facilitating dialogue between European cultures and those from around the world, inviting viewers to embrace cultural diversity and appreciate differences.” In 2022, the show brought forth reflections on the immediacy of developing a sustainable future. The 2022 iteration of Personal Structures prompted introspection and growth within a multicultural world. In 2024, Personal Structures explores new dimensions of human experience through art. In Danieli’s words, “The theme [Beyond Boundaries] encourages artists and audiences alike to push beyond conventional boundaries and engage with art in a more expansive and transformative way.”

Coming to Personal Structures 2024’s programme, the art exhibition will present work by established and emerging artists. There is a strong focus on art practices from the Global South, such as Pakistani multidisciplinary artist Faiza Butt and Palestinian visual artist Samia Halaby. American sculptor David Middlebrook’s The Return, which is a birch canoe with bronze bamboo legs, highlights an overlooked aspect of Asia’s historical connection to the Americas, tracing the migration of indigenous people to North America from Asia. The Taiwanese artist Shen Chang-Ming reflects on the interconnected nature of culture through paintings that draw on both Eastern and Western philosophies.

Personal Structures includes works of great immediacy, like Foreigners in their Homeland, an exhibition conducted in collaboration with the Palestine Museum US, the first permanent museum in the United States dedicated to Palestine. Foreigners in their Homeland is curated by Faisal Saleh, Founder and Executive Director of the museum and will present works by several Palestinian multimedia artists at the Palazzo Mora. Meanwhile, the Palazzo Bembo showcases pieces by Emirati artist Karima Mohamed Abdelaziz, which challenge popular notions around women’s clothing and adornment in the UAE, specifically the burqa. Ross-Sutton Gallery in New York will also be at the Palazzo Bembo with a women artist group show, exploring the topic of female sexuality.

Artists Areez Katki and Robert Jahnke from New Zealand will examine heritage, through works at the biennale. Katki is both a conceptual artist and textile artist, and shall present a heartfelt portrait of his late grandmother through nine clay tiles from his family’s backyard. Meanwhile, Jahnke, a graphic artist and sculptor, will show Te Wepu MMXXIII, which is a tribute to the Māori prophet Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki.

Returning to the Palazzo Mora, the venue will present Schüttbild mit Hemd (Kreuzwegstation) [Filled Picture with Shirt (Station of the Cross)] by the late Austrian artist and composer Hermann Nitsch alongside a still from Canadian artist Miles Greenberg’s seven hour performance piece Fountain I. Nitsch was a founder of the Actionism movement, which has had a major influence on Greenberg. Palazzo Mora will also feature installations that respond to the ongoing climate crisis, bringing attention to the discourse around sustainability and greenwashing. British sculptor Emily Young will show stone sculptures across the Palazzo Mora and the Marinaressa Gardens, while Butt will display several large-scale painting works that explore climate anxiety. Celebrated multimedia artist Yoko Ono also presents work in the gardens, parallel to her current exhibition at Tate Modern, London. Arena For a Tree, a site-specific art installation by Swiss artist Klaus Littmann, created with the support of Kultustiftung Basel H. Geiger, and in collaboration with ECC-Italy, features three isolated trees at the centre of an amphitheatre, creating a disconcerting portrait of global warming.

Brazilian photographer Sandra Cattaneo Adorno presents Ten Years, which explores negative space through the inverted image. Additionally, the ECC renews its partnership with the Spanish photobook festival Fiebre Photobook for the third consecutive year and will feature some of the photobooks from past editions of Fiebre, which have focused on a variety of topics such as the experiences of migrants, ecology and family relationships. Blurring the Lines, which is another ECC partner, will also be present at the biennale. Blurring the Lines is a socially and environmentally committed non-profit organisation that presents the ‘Blurring the Lines’ photography award. At the 2024 art biennale, it will showcase works by Vanessa Cowling, one of their 2023 winners.

Finally, educational institutions – Bremen University in Germany, Deakin University in Australia and Princeton University from the USA, among others – will showcase a selection of works by students and academics across the Palazzo Bembo and the Palazzo Mora. These works focus on the role that universities play for coming generations and explore the topic of Venice as a city. The works shown will span several mediums and encourage audiences to reassess preconceived notions surrounding geographic and artistic narratives.

When asked what the ECC would like audiences to take away from this year’s iteration of Personal Structures, Danieli tells STIR, “We hope audiences will take away a renewed sense of possibility and empowerment. By reflecting on the theme of Beyond Boundaries, we aim to inspire individuals to recognise their capacity to overcome challenges and limitations, both personally and collectively. Through the diverse perspectives and contradictions presented in the exhibition, we encourage viewers to embrace complexity, question preconceptions, and foster a deeper understanding of the human condition and society as a whole.”

'Personal Structures: Beyond Boundaries' will be on view at the Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora and the Marinaressa Gardens in Venice, Italy from April 20 - November 24, 2024. STIR is a media partner with the ECC for Personal Structures 2024.