Pabellón criollo
60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Adriano Pedrosa
April 20 - November 24, 2024
“Pabellón criollo” (creole pavilion) is the name of a traditional Venezuelan dish consisting of stewed black beans, rice, shredded meat and fried plantains — ingredients said to reflect the mix of Indigenous, African and European cultures which have constituted the Venezuelan identity since colonial times.
For “Foreigners Everywhere”, the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia curated by Adriano Pedrosa, Sol Calero has created the meal’s architectural namesake— an outdoor ‘pavilion of pavilions’ which reflects on themes of cultural cross-pollination as well as the readaptation of materials and ideas.
Situated within the Giardini amongst the 30 permanent national pavilions, the large site-specific installation serves as an autonomous gathering place which draws from Calero’s previous work rooted in Latin American art, social spaces and Caribbean architecture. Conceived of as a three dimensional, deconstructed painting, the piece is partially composed from a variety of materials from past Biennales.
Install photos by Andrea Rossetti