Marmot Parliament: kicking off the 9th edition of Biennale Gherd?ina

In the heart of the Dolomites, the town of Ortisei today opens the 9th edition of Biennale Gherdëina, entitled The Parliament of Marmots. The event, which will run from May 31 until September 1, 2024, is curated by Lorenzo Giusti, joined by Marta Papini as associate curator. The biennial draws inspiration from the Ladino myth of the "Kingdom of Fanes," a fascinating story about the breaking of a pact between animals and humans. This theme celebrates wilderness, life cycles and the profound relationship between all species, making the Dolomites not only a natural barrier but a point of encounter and cultural contamination.

The Parliament of Marmots brings together artists of different nationalities who explore themes such as the wild as a creative dimension, multispeciesism, and the mountain as a meeting place. Notable among the newly commissioned works are: Nassim Azarzar (1989), author of a pictorial intervention on the exterior walls of Hotel Ladinia, which invites the public to explore a now-abandoned structure; Julius von Bismarck (1983), who created a large statue depicting the bark beetle, an insect that is ravaging local forests, depicted as a horseback leader in Ortisei’s main street; Sara Ouhaddou (1986), who executed small wood sculptures of native animals, made in collaboration with local sculptor Helene Demetz, inspired by the art of zoomorphic pottery from the Atlas Mountains; Esraa Elfeky, whose drawings are housed in the herbarium of the Museum Gherdëina; Diana Policarpo (1986), author of a sculpture inspired by anguanas, mythological Ladin figures, exhibited in Castel Gardena. Other works and installations have been commissioned from: Atelier dell’Errore (2002), Ruth Beraha (1986), Chiara Bersani (1984), Alessandro Biggio (1974), Daniele Genadry (1980), Arnold Holzknecht (1960), Michael Höpfner (1973), Ingela Ihrman (1985), Nadia Kaabi-Linke (1978), Linda Jasmin Mayer (1986), Femmy Otten (1981), Eva Papamargariti (1987), Markus Vallazza (1936-2019) + Martino Gamper (1971), Karin Welponer (1941).

The Biennale takes place in various locations in Val Gardena, from the 17th-century Castel Gardena in Selva di Val Gardena to the center of Ortisei, via the industrial area of Pontives. Precisely in the new Pontives location, Biennale Gherdëina 9 presents contributions from artists whose works explore in different ways the three trajectories of The Parliament of Marmots. In the group show at Spazio Stufflesser artists and artists from the Mediterranean area dwell on the themes of multispecies and geological time, an extended time that blurs geographical boundaries by bringing together histories from Europe to those of the Middle East. The works are by Talar Aghbashian (1981), Ismaïl Bahri (1978), Yesmine Ben Khelil (1986), Nadim Choufi (1994), Elmas Deniz (1981), Andro Eradze (1993), Marianne Fahmy (1992), Shuruq Harb (1980), Katia Kameli (1973), and Janis Rafa (1984). Contributions at Pontives also include works by Alex Ayed (1989), Valentina Furian (1989) and Laurent Le Deunff (1977). The event includes new productions, performances, solo and group exhibitions, and collaborations with regional cultural institutions.

The Biennale also includes tributes and significant collaborations, starting with Thinking Like a Mountain, a tribute to artist Lin May Saeed, in collaboration with GAMeC in Bergamo. Also tightened for this year are collaborations with Bolzano’s Ar/Ge Kunst for a new film work by Eva Giolo, with the Bolzano Danza Festival for a choreographic installation by Helle Siljeholm, with Bolzano’s Museion for a work by Tobias Tavella in the Renaissance exhibition, and with MUSE - Museo delle Scienze in Trento for a film program on the themes of the Anthropocene and the Wild.

Starting June 2, Biennale Gherdëina 9 offers a public program including workshops, performances, talks, and forest walks to explore the history of the Dolomites and the richness of its fauna and flora. The opening event will be held in Dantercepies, Selva di Val Gardena, with open rehearsals of Helle Siljeholm’s The Sea of Rocks. For more information and to see the full calendar of events, visit the official website: www.biennalegherdeina.it.

Marmot Parliament: kicking off the 9th edition of Biennale Gherd?ina

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