‘Respiro’ opens at Turkish Pavilion in Venice

VENICE

Hürriyet Photo

“Respiro,” an installation by the influential conceptual artist Sarkis, opened at the Pavilion of Turkey at Venice’s 56th International Art Exhibition, la Biennale di Venezia, with a ceremony on May 7. Curated by Defne Ayas, the Pavilion of Turkey is organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and located at Sale d’Armi, Arsenale. The installation can be seen until Nov. 22.

Of all the work that Sarkis has produced to date, Respiro has been the most personally challenging for him. It brings together several of his iconic sculptures. Thirty-six stained glass panes, created with a medieval technique, thread the installation. 

Respiro, meaning “breath” in Italian, is complemented by a musical composition by Jacopo Baboni-Schilingi, which is based on the artist’s rendition of the rainbow’s seven colors as a system of partitions. The music is played day and night, together with the neon works “breathing in and out” for the duration of the exhibition.

For the first time this year, Sarkis is displaying his works in both the Turkish and Armenian pavilions. To mark the 100th anniversary of 1915 events, the Armenian pavilion exhibition features 16 diaspora artists. Four works by Sarkis are on display at the Armenian pavilion.