Pavilion of Applied Arts

It’s About Time by Marysia Lewandowska uses the rich archival materials of La Biennale di Venezia and the Victoria and Albert Museum to examine the apparent absence of women from the historical narratives of exhibitions and museums. The project focuses on records of meetings held by the Mayor of Venice, beginning in 1893, which led to the creation of La Biennale two years later. It’s About Time reimagines the circumstances in which La Biennale came into being, setting up new conditions from which the ‘unheard voices’ of women can emerge. The work brings attention to what is missing, while offering an alternative history of the event. The resulting sound and film installation questions the political and social mechanisms responsible for shaping the cultural spaces of the exhibition and the museum, by attending to omissions and silences.

“This year’s exhibition project finds inspiration from the visit to La Biennale’s Historical Archives and V&A’s collections”, Presidente Baratta explains. “Marysia Lewandowska turned her attention to the history of La Biennale and specifically to its origins. She was struck by the clear dominance of ‘men’ among the people mentioned in its official history since its foundation.”

Opening hours:
from 11 May to 24 November 2019, 10 am to 6 pm (on Fridays and Saturdays until 5 October, 10 am to 8 pm)
closed on Mondays