Rirkrit Tiravanija | ArtForum
From left: Sophia Al-Maria, Tom Eccles, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tarek Atoui, and Ruba Katrib. Photo: © Brigitte Lacombe.
The National Pavilion of Qatar has announced that Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija will bring together a group of musicians, poets, chefs, and artists from the Arab world for its exhibition at the Sixty-First Venice Biennale, to open on May 9. The show, “Untitled (a gathering of remarkable people),” is being cocurated by Tom Eccles, executive director of Center for Curatorial Studies and the Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College, and Ruba Katrib, chief curator and director of curatorial affairs, at New York’s MoMA PS1. It will occupy a tent in the Giardini on the future site of Qatar’s new permanent pavilion, which is being designed by Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh.
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“On the global stage of the Venice Biennale, this exhibition demonstrates Qatar’s unwavering belief in the power of culture to bring people together and to create space for reflection, connection, and affirmation of our shared humanity,” said Qatar Museums chair Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the pavilion’s commissioner, in a statement. “Qatar is proud to provide a platform for the creative talent of our nation and the Arab world. Together, these artists and their work highlight the importance of resilience in a complicated time, empowering communities, inspiring generations, and strengthening our combined heritage.”