The 60th Venice Biennale will be enriched this summer by the art project “Arena for a Tree.” This floating platform near the international exhibition combines architecture, sculpture, and stage. Its permeable wooden structure is reminiscent of the rings of a tree and offers seating for around fifty people. At its center grow three bald cypress trees, symbols of rootedness and adaptability.
The temporary installation is located in front of the historic Arsenale, a former shipyard. The Arena is a place of tranquility and contemplation, focusing attention on climate and water supply issues, away from commercial interests.
The Biennale’s main exhibition, “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere,” addresses identity and migration. Similarly, the bald cypress, the natural protagonist of the Arena, has its roots in various regions around the world, symbolizing global interconnectedness.
The further development of the art intervention For Forest – The Unending Attraction of Nature the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt (Austria), which brought a forest into a football stadium in 2019, brings art into public spaces and reminds us of the importance of nature. After stops in Basel and Zurich, the Arena now finds its place on water for the first time – a silent testament to global ecological connectivity.
ARSENALE NORD, VENICE, until July 31, 2024
Tue – Sun, 11am – 7pm (free entry)
The two sides of the Arsenale can be reached by water thanks to a free shuttle boat (between Arsenale Nord and Giardino delle Vergini) or via ACTV stop “Bacini – Arsenale Nord” or by foot from Campo de la Celestia, via the suspended bridge along the north boundary wall of the Arsenale.
Presented by Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger in collaboration with ECC Italy as well as the support of the Venice City Council and the port authorities.
Photos: Federico Vespignani | Claudio Martin
more about ARENA FOR A TREE, Basel 2021 / Zurich 2022 / Venice 2024
