The crowds were packed into the Central Pavilion of the Venice Biennale in the Giardini yesterday, where the 2022 Venice Biennale’s main show, “The Milk of Dreams,” continued from the Arsenale across town.
What do I need to tell you about them, for context? Not much. As I said yesterday about the Arsenale section, it is a particularly visual show. It’s (relatively) sparing in its deployment of video. As for text-based and research works, it only really gets clotted in the mini-galleries dedicated to surveys of women working with the occult and magic (“The Witch’s Cradle”) and text and automatism (“Corps Orbite.”) But these last are, in truth, highlights, so it’s worth it to wait your turn examining their trove of interesting artifacts and anecdotes.
For a sense of what to expect, see the pictures below.
A telescope pointed at the Central Pavilion of the Giardini as part of a work by Cosima von Bonin. Photo by Ben Davis.
Work by Cosima von Bonin. Photo by Ben Davis.
Maria Prymachenko, Scarecrow (1967). Photo by Ben Davis.
Andra Ursuţa, Impersonal Growth (2020). Photo by Ben Davis.
A wall of works by Rosemarie Trockel. Photo by Ben Davis.
![Works from Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, "wedding of the astronauts" series (2022), and [foreground] Gabrielle L'Hirondelle Hill, <em>Counterblaste</em> (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2022/04/gabrielle-lhirondelle-hill-counterblaste-1024x683.jpeg)
Works from Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, “wedding of the astronauts” series (2022), and [foreground] Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill, Counterblaste (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
Akosua Adoma Owusu, Kwaku Ananse (2013). Photo by Ben Davis.
Foreground: Cecilia Vicuña, NAUfraga (2022); Background: paintings by Merikokeb Berhanu. Photo by Ben Davis.
Cecilia Vicuña, Bendigame Mamita (1977). Photo by Ben Davis.
Mrinalini Mukherjee, Devi (1982), Rudra (1982), and Vanshree (1994). Photo by Ben Davis.
Sculptures by Simone Fattal. Photo by Ben Davis.
Visitors in the “Corps Orbite” gallery, a special display of artists working in concrete poetry and text, look at Alice Rahon’s Thunderbird (1946) and other works. Photo by Ben Davis.
Djuna Barnes, Ladies Almanack (1928) and Ladies Almanack (1972). Photo by Ben Davis.
Textile works by Gisèle Prassinos. Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Unica Zürn. Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Chiara Enzo. Photo by Ben Davis.
Display of works by Ovartaci. Photo by Ben Davis.
Nan Goldin, Sirens (2019–21). Photo by Ben Davis.
“The Witch’s Cradle” gallery, dedicated to art made by women working in occult traditions. Photo by Ben Davis.
Leonor Fini, Les Cornes (1973) and M6 Black psuedo-primitive surrealist mask (ca. 1960). Photo by Ben Davis.
Loïs Mailou Jones, Africa (1935). Photo by Ben Davis.
Eileen Agar, Sculpture consisting of a shell stuck on top of sea urchin mounted on a base made out of woven bark (n.d.). Photo by Ben Davis.
Baya Mahieddine, Femme au panier et coq rouge (1947), Femme robe à chevrons (1947), and Femme robe jaune cheveuz bleus (1947). Photo by Ben Davis.
Josephine Baker, Dans Revue des Folies Bergère, danse aver plumes… (1926). Photo by Ben Davis.
Jadé Fadojutimi, And that day, she remembered how to purr (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
![Jana Euler, <em>Fly (moment)</em> (2022), <em>Fly (moment)</em> (2021), and [on floor] <em>great white fear</em> (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2022/04/jane-euler-1024x781.jpeg)
Jana Euler, Fly (moment) (2022), Fly (moment) (2021), and [on floor] great white fear (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Shuvinai Ashoona. Photo by Ben Davis.
Paula Rego, Oratório (2009). Photo by Ben Davis.
Leonora Carrington, pages from Leche del sueño (2016). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Ulla Wiggen. Photo by Ben Davis.
Agnes Denes, Introspection II—Machines, Tools, and Weapons (1969–72). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Charlotte Johannesson. Photo by Ben Davis.
Lenora de Barros, POEMA (POEM) (1979/2004) and one of Ulla Wiggen’s “Iris” paintings. Photo by Ben Davis.
Photo by Elle Pérez. Photo by Ben Davis.
Shuang Li, ÆTHER (Poor Objects (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Aneta Grzeszykowska. Photo by Ben Davis.
Drawings by Birgit Jürgenssen. Photo by Ben Davis.
Elaine Cameron-Weir, Low Relief Icon (Figure 1) and Low Relief Icon (Figure 2) (2021) and Right Hand Hand, Grinds a Fantasizer’s Dust (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
Sara Enrico, The Jumpsuit Theme (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
Jacqueline Humphries, Omega:) (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
Carla Accardi, Senza titolo (1967). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Vera Molnár. Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Sonia Delaunay. Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Laura Grisi in the “Technologies of Enchantment” gallery. Photo by Ben Davis.
Marina Apollonio, Relievo 704 (1964-1970) and Relievo 902 (1964-1969). Photo by Ben Davis.
Lucia di Luciano, Irradiazione N.7 (1965), Irradiazione N.7 (1965), and Irradiazione N.7 (1965). Photo by Ben Davis.
Digital video by Liliana Schwartz. Photo by Ben Davis.
Sable Elyse Smith, Landscape VI (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
Work by Ambra Castagnetti. Photo by Ben Davis.
P. Staff, On Venus (2019). Photo by Ben Davis.
Paintings by Charline von Heyl. Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Miriam Cahn. Photo by Ben Davis.
Julia Phillips, Bower (2021-2022) and Veiled Purifier (2021-2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Hannah Levy. Photo by Ben Davis.
Kaari Upson, Portrait (Vain German) (2020-2021) and Hannah Levy, Untitled (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
Works by Christina Quarles. Photo by Ben Davis.
Sheree Hovsepian, Mollusca (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
![Bronwyn Katz, <em>Gõegõe</em> (2022) and [on walls] Amy Sillman, <em>Untitled (Frieze for Venice)</em> (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2022/04/sillman-katz-1024x794.jpeg)
Bronwyn Katz, Gõegõe (2022) and [on walls] Amy Sillman, Untitled (Frieze for Venice) (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
Louise Lawler, No Exit (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.
Alexandra Pirici, Encyclopedia of Relations (2022). Photo by Ben Davis.