Ugandan art was given special recognition at the Venice Biennale, as the prestigious exhibition opened this past weekend in Italy.
For the first time, Uganda was represented in Venice. Acaye Kerunen, who collaborates with craftswomen from all around the country to create her pieces, and Collin Sekajugo, whose paintings modify stock photos, are among the artists included in the pavilion.
Kerunen was delighted to receive the recognition and told the reporters it came at a huge surprise.
She said; “I’m still recovering..
“It’s a very historic moment…Uganda is again in the limelight for the right reasons.”
The jury said that the special mention to Uganda was “in acknowledgement of their vision, ambition and commitment to art and working in their country.”
“Acaye Kerunen in her choice of sculptural materials like bark-clothed rafia illustrates sustainability as a practice and not just a policy or concept,” they added.
The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as “the Olympics of the art world”, participation in the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists.
The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year’s artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theatre.
Outside of the central, international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings, such as the 30 housed on the Giardini, are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in the Venice Arsenale and palazzos throughout the city.