NZ Venice Biennale venue
Judy Millar, one of the two New Zealand artists exhibiting at the 53rd Venice Biennale, has secured a new venue at La Maddalena church.
Millar selected the new location following advice from the local diocese that her original exhibition venue may not be restored in time for the Biennale’s opening on 3 June 2009.
Located on the Strada Nova, one of Venice’s main shopping throughfares, it is parallel to the Grand Canal between the railway station and the Rialto. The church is also just a short walk from fellow New Zealander Francis Upritchard’s venue at Fondazione Claudio Buziol within the Palazzo Mangilli-Valmarana.
Millar says, “I’m delighted to have been offered La Maddalena as the venue for my Venice Biennale exhibition. It provides the possibility of developing the central concepts of my proposed exhibition in a number of fascinating ways.”
La Maddalena is a rare example of 18th century architecture in Venice with the symbol of the Knights Templar above the main door of the church. It was closed for restoration for many years but re-opened its doors with Michael Stevenson’s This is the TREKKA for the 2003 Venice Biennale New Zealand exhibition, when over 58,000 international visitors came through the doors.
Established in 1895, the Venice Biennale is the world's oldest international forum for contemporary visual art, and attracts thousands of the world's most influential artists, curators, critics, gallery directors and collectors. Painter Judy Millar and sculptor Francis Upritchard’s exhibitions will run from 7 June to 22 November 2009.
