Press releases

MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) – Belarus will present the project "The Archive of a War Witness” at the 56th edition of the Venice Biennale, a major contemporary art exhibition in Italy, Belarus’ First Deputy Culture Minister Irina Driga told a press conference, BelTA has learned.

Belarus was twice invited to show its national pavilions at the Venice Biennale: in 2005 and 2011. This year Belarus will make a showing in Venice with the project "The Archive of a War Witness” (curators: Alexei Shinkarenko and Olga Rybchinskaya, with the participation of artist Konstantin Selikhanov), the winner of the national competition of concepts organized by the Culture Ministry. All in all, the competition featured more than 30 projects, and a professional jury made of art historians, critics, representatives of the art unions had a difficult job choosing the best as all the projects were very interesting. The project "Film Show" by Konstantin Selikhanov and Olga Rybchinskaya placed second, and the third place went to "ReincarNation" by Grigory Sitnitsa.

According to Irina Driga, the project "The Archive of a War Witness" is unusual. Thanks to the information technology a visitor becomes not only a spectator but also a participant. The project focuses on a person- a witness of war, conflict, pain of another human being, suffering, fear of the future. "The communication space" is created with the help of the photographic archives of the turning points of the 20^th century - the First and Second World Wars.

According to the Commissioner of the National Pavilion, Director of the Center for Contemporary Arts Natalia Sharangovich, the interest to the national competition of concepts was high. She said that among the participants there were a lot of young writers, students, those who in a few years will be shaping the contemporary art. According to Natalia Sharangovich, the jury had to choose the best of the best. But the starting point was the focus on socially important issues.

Now the Belarusians have to chose the best place for the project in the center of Venice. According to Natalia Sharangovich, most probably the Belarusian delegation will choose a modern building which can host a high-tech project. The National Pavilion will be marked on the map of the city, in the Biennale catalogue. There are plans to mount an installation at the entrance to the pavilion to draw the attention of tourists.

The 56th edition of the Venice Biennale will be running from 9 May to 22 November 2015.