Today, the Dutch Rietveld pavilion was officially handed over to Estonia for the upcoming edition of the Venice Art Biennale, taking place from 23 April to 27 November 2022. To mark this moment, a maquette of the Rietveld Pavilion was handed over from Eelco van der Lingen, Director of the Mondriaan Fund (commissioner of the Dutch entry) to Maria Arusoo, Director of the Center for Contemporary Arts (commissioner of the Estonian entry).
Representing the Netherlands for the first time since 1954, not in the Rietveld Pavilion, but in a deconsecrated church in the Cannaregio neighbourhood, the Dutch entry marks a break with a long-held tradition. With the Dutch pavilion empty, the Mondriaan Fund has offered its location in the Giardini to Estonia for the 2022 edition, in order to welcome young nations to the centre of the Biennale. Estonia has been exhibiting at the Venice Biennale since 1997. However, due to the fact that no new pavilions can be built in the Giardini, young nations cannot normally gain access.
The handover ceremony started with a panel discussion titled ‘Who’s representing whom at the Venice Biennale?’, exploring why this exchange between the Netherlands and Estonia is taking place and how it might impact our ideas about the biennale and the pavilion system. The discussion, moderated by Nadia Beard, Editor of The Calvert Journal, included: Hendrik Folkerts, curator of International Contemporary Art at Moderna Museet; Kati Ilves, Artistic Director of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024; Eelco van der Lingen, Director of the Mondriaan Fund; and Maria Arusoo, Director of the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA).
Eelco van der Lingen, Director of the Mondriaan Fund, said: “The one-time transfer of the pavilion shows our appreciation for Estonia in the field of the visual arts, while at the same time giving the Netherlands the opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and see what freedom it gives us when we step outside the walls of the pavilion. Moreover, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to bring the art worlds of the two countries into closer contact with each other.”
Maria Arusoo, Director of the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), said: “This invitation of cultural exchange made by the Mondriaan Fund feels like a genuine acknowledgment of Estonia’s cultural achievements during the last twelve national presentations at Venice. It is the perfect moment to celebrate the accomplishments of the local talent that we have, to date, been able to share on the biennale’s international stage. One of our central aims as an organisation is to build lasting relationships with our collaborators – we very much intend for this exchange between Estonia and The Netherlands to continue beyond Venice, and for many years to come.”
The handover ceremony was attended by Taaniel Raudsepp, a representative from the Ministry of Culture of Estonia, and the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands in Estonia, Iris de Groot. The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, Tiit Terik, shared some words from afar in support of the initiative: “I thank the Netherlands with all my heart. This honour bestowed upon us, the first of its kind in the history of the Venice Biennale, testifies to the fact that our artists and art organizers have stood out internationally with their originality and professionalism. We have once again proved that with culture we can make a small country bigger in the world.”
Speaking at the event, Iris de Groot, Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands in Estonia, said: “In recent years, the Estonian entries in Venice have been some of the most interesting and innovative. Innovation is essential for the cultural sector, and certainly for an event like the Biennale. We are confident that Estonia will be very successful in exploiting the potential of the Rietveld Pavilion. This collaboration between Estonia and the Netherlands makes the 59th edition of the Biennale a very special one.”
Part of the handover ceremony was a performance of ‘Flying Estman’ by multidisciplinary artist Jüri Ojaver, who represented Estonia at the 1999 Venice Biennale. The event is part of a wider visitors’ programme in Tallinn inviting a delegation of Dutch art professionals and press to discover the best art and culture on offer in the Estonian capital. A group of Estonian art professionals and press will make a reciprocal trip to the Netherlands to explore contemporary art exhibitions in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. The visitors’ programmes were co-organised by the Mondriaan Fund and the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) with the aim of strengthening cultural ties between the Netherlands and Estonia and providing a springboard for possible collaboration and exchange in the future.
Further details of the Dutch and Estonian entries for the Venice Art Biennale in 2022 will be announced in December 2021.
