COMMAND-ALTERNATIVE-ESCAPE

About

Curated by the School's 24th edition, “COMMAND-ALTERNATIVE-ESCAPE” will offer the exclusive and limited opportunity to reconnect and rediscover the historical Spazio Thetis Gardens with new artworks reflective of constructed communities emerging from current modes of connectivity by international and local contemporary artists.

Strategically located in Spazio Thetis Gardens at the Arsenale — an uniquely gated and guarded Venetian green space enclosed by historical industrial architecture—“COMMAND-ALTERNATIVE-ESCAPE” welcomes visitors to intimately assess their personal truths by confronting permanent land art works by Joseph Beuys, Jan Fabre and Michelangelo Pistoletto, in dialogue with new works by Allora&Calzadila, Carolina Antich, Jesse Darling, Peter De Cupere, Enej Gala, Patrizia Giambi, Kensuke Koike, Tania Kovats, Paul Kneale, Sahra Motalebi, Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec, and Kristian Sturi.

Inspired by Venice's public and private community dynamics amongst the large influx of foreign individuals filtering through the city daily: “COMMAND-ALTERNATIVE-ESCAPE” calls to a critical shift in perspective towards the archetypal dichotomy between liberty and security. “Security [specifically] in the sense of knowing where you are, who you are, on what kind of future you can count [on], what will happen, whether you will preserve your position in society or whether you will be degraded and humiliated … this sort of security … [which for] a rising number of people — looks at the moment more attractive than more freedom” (Zygmunt Bauman).

In a context burdened by manipulative collective ideology of the present: Skepticism of mass media, controversies instigated by fake news, and filter bubbles and echo chambers calling into question the democratizing potential offered by connectivity—even so in a time parallel to virtually limitless geographical and cultural confines—“COMMAND-ALTERNATIVE-ESCAPE” will confront how individuals default to their own bubble of security.