On San Servolo Island is where Syria’s pavilion for the current Venice Biennale is located. With the working title “The Syrian People: A Common Destiny,” it portrays a nation that has been gripped by civil war and economic and social unrest since 2011 by combining notable current Syrian artists with a few Italian names.
Emad Kashout, a Damascus cultural administrator who has been aiding with the selection of artwork for Syria’s Venice Biennale exhibit since 2015, once again served as the pavilion’s commissioner this year. Syrian artists Sawsan Al-Zoubi, Ismaiel Nasra, Adnan Hamideh, Omran Younis, and Aksam Talla are among the participants. Alongside pieces by Italian painters Giuseppe Amadio, Lorenzo Puglisi, Marcello Lo Giudice, Hannu Palosuo, and Franco Mazzucchelli, their work—which is primarily on canvas—is on show.
At least some of the works by their Italian contemporaries share a clear thematic relationship with events and circumstances that many Syrians could be familiar with. For instance, Palosuo provides two sets of paintings: one pair depicts a boy and girl and the other a guy and woman. The faces of all four are painted with strong white strokes that appear to be erasing or distorting their individuality.
The press statement for the pavilion underlines how Syria’s historic legacy, which includes items dating back to the eighth millennium BC, informed the work on display, which was motivated by both the magnificent past and the recent horrors of the nation.
Eshout, speaking from Damascus, stated that “art culture has always represented a tool to alter society by spreading love and optimism.” “This ancient civilization has always used art as a means of reshaping society by fostering love and hope and giving people a chance to start over.”
Samer Kozah, who has been in charge of his Damascus gallery under that name since 1994, added that the pavilion doesn’t provide a thorough overview of the Syrian art scene.
The best course of action, in his opinion, is to establish a special committee for international participation, which would include the Venice Biennale, the Ministry of Culture, and active galleries in Syria, to select the kind and caliber of artists.