China’s Cyber-Age Transfigurations at the Venice Biennale
June 3, 2013 | Julia Dawidowicz
Despite their government’s minor aversion to boundary-pushing art, China is killin’ it at the 2013 Venice Biennale. Featured at this year’s Chinese Pavilion is the work of digital artist Miao Xiaochun (and six others) centering around the theme of “transfiguration.” Playing on this notion, the installations figuratively explore the transformation of life to art by reinterpreting canonical Christian imagery in light of today’s digital world.
The Last Judgement in Cyberspace, for instance, is a lifelessly digitized greyscale version of Michaelangelo’s legendary Sistene Chapel fresco— “a commentary,” explains Designboom, “on how things are portrayed in mainstream media, which has caused us to become desensitized to our surroundings.” Other pieces depict legendary scenes from art history — like the crucification of St. Peter, Noah’s Ark, and the Pieta — through various clever, albeit somewhat dystopian, contemporary lenses.
Just a week after his inauguration, Pope Francis is already trying to revamp his image as a contemporary-art-hating wet blanket. The Vatican has announced that it will have its own contemporary art show at this year's Venice Art Biennale, Art F City reports. Since its establishment as an independent state…
British-born Tino Sehgal -- the artist behind this year's much talked about manga-inspired piece at the Frieze Art Fair -- just won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Bienniale. The award, essentially the equivalent of an artist receiving an Academy Award, is quite an impressive achievement for an artist who not only prohibits the photography of his work, but sells much of his "constructed…
Almost two years after his release from Chinese prison, dissident artist Ai Weiwei addresses his politically motivated 80 day incarceration with S.A.C.R.E.D., currently on view at the Venice Biennale. It's a series of six dioramas, each representing a scene from his time behind bars -- in fiberglass and iron, 377 x 198 x 153…
