Sævar Karl at Sala del Portale, Venice

Differences on Identity
Marie-Hélène Baudry (Canada), Megan Evans (Australia), Michael Varisco (USA), Tikka Heidi (Finland), Tine Lindvig (Denmark), Lynda Benglis (USA)
Differences on Identity: Artistic perspectives
At the Hall of the Portal in San Lorenzo square in Venice, a series of two exhibitions will be organized, titled Differences on Identity: Artistic perspectives.
The exhibitions are inserted into the program of the rich and varied cultural life of the City of Venice and will offer two interesting and unusual selections of artworks by talented artists.
Both exhibitions will provide different artistic and aesthetic perspectives: the participating artists represent different styles and temperaments, nationalities, ages and artistic experiences. The works in the exhibitions are arranged to create technical and stylistic dialogue as the exhibited works range from painting and sculpture to video and performance.
The title “Differences on Identity: Artistic perspectives” suggests that the exhibition investigates the existence and the character of an individual artistic identity and the possibilities of identifying the components of the artistic self. However, it also questions whether we should approach these identities in the plural, paying attention to how they are inserted in the complex art system.
The curatorial strategy of the exhibition aims at creating a strong and unique connection between the materials of the artist’s works and the space of the exhibition, facilitating artistic collaborations and engaging the visitor. The potential visitors are perceived as well prepared, demanding subjects with multicultural identities. Therefore the goal of the exhibition is to demonstrate how a work of art may interact with its environment and thus counter the concept of an art work as a self-referential entity.
The curator-critic employing this strategy is considered as a figure capable of creating contexts and containers for these different relationships to occur. The curator, in a sense, takes the role of the facilitator so that the dialogue and mutual respect between the artists, their relation to the space and each other may emerge.
Collateral events: Each exhibition aims at providing an understanding of the visions and the perspectives of each participating artist. The dialectic relation to the visitor is pursued by the organization of discursive and interactive events, such as meetings and interviews with the artists. In addition a series of classical music concerts will be organized.