MEDIA ALERT
Thursday 23 April 2015
Notes to Editors
Launch of the new Australian Pavilion
in the historic Venice Biennale Gardens
and the inaugural exhibition, Fiona Hall: Wrong Way Time
at the 56th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia
At 4pm Tuesday 5 May in Venice, Italy (EST midnight Tuesday 5th May) the new Denton
Corker Marshall designed Australian Pavilion in Venice’s historic Biennale precinct will be
officially opened by Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General and Minister for
the Arts, with remarks made by Mr Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council for the
Arts, Australian Commissioner and lead donor for the new pavilion, Mr Simon Mordant AM,
Paolo Baratta, President of the Venice Biennale, architect John Denton and pavilion donor,
Cate Blanchett.
In addition to the speeches, a traditional Indigenous Australian smoking ceremony will be
conducted by Matthew Doyle, Djakapurra Munyarryun and William Barton.
The new Australian Pavilion is the first 21st century pavilion to be built in the Biennale
precinct. A two level concrete and steel structure, clad in granite, has been designed as a
white box within a black box.
The Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts has contributed $1
million towards the construction of the new pavilion.
The remaining costs for the building have been funded through a staggering $6.5million in
donations from over 80 private Australian benefactors. Additionally, over $1.2million in
sponsorship and donations have been raised to support the exhibition and associated launch
events in Venice.
Renowned Australian artist Fiona Hall will inaugurate the new pavilion with the exhibition
Wrong Way Time, which will open on Wednesday 6 May, 10.30am (Venice time, EST
6.30pm Wednesday 6 May).
Curated by Linda Michael, Wrong Way Time brings together dozens of multi-part works
created by Hall focused on the intersecting fields of global conflict, world finances, and the
environment. Hall sees in these states, a “minefield of madness, badness and sadness in
equal measure”.
Founded in 1895, the Venice Biennale is the oldest and largest established art biennale,
attended by more than 30,000 of the world’s leading curators, collectors, critics and media in
the three-day preview period, and more than 440,000 in the six month exhibition period.
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Nearly 90 countries exhibit within the Giardini, Arsenale and in locations across the historical
city. Australia is one of 29 national pavilions in the Giardini.
This year, over 60 Australian artists, a record number, have been invited to present works at
the Venice Biennale.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
Pre-event images of the Australian Pavilion exterior, key personnel and Fiona Hall and the
exhibition Wrong Way Time will be available on Tuesday 5th May, 7am approximately
(EST), but STRICTLY EMBARGOED until 12 pm midnight, Tuesday 5th May (EST).
Images of the Australian Pavilion opening and Fiona Hall: Wrong Way Time launch will also
be available on request.
FOR IMAGES AND INTERVIEWS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Katrina Hall
+ 61 421153046
kathall@ozemail.com.au
Karen Smith
Media Manager, Australia Council for the Arts
02 9215 9030, 0498 123 541
k.smith@australiacouncil.gov.au
Documents attached:

Record number of Australian artists invited to present works at the 56 th Venice
Biennale.

Background information: Australia at the Venice Biennale

Background Information: Fiona Hall
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