Please join the National Gallery of Canada and the Wexner Center for the Arts in Venice for a symposium of critical conversations to deepen analysis of Kapwani Kiwanga: Trinket, on view until November 21, 2024, at the Canada Pavilion as part of the 2024 Venice Biennale. The event is free of charge, but registration is required.
Trinket is a site responsive work that transforms the Canada Pavilion into an immersive environment. At its core are conterie, or seed beads, which have a rich historical significance dating back to the sixteenth century. These glass beads were dispersed from Murano in the Venetian archipelago and incorporated into material cultures throughout the world via established commerce routes linking Europe, Africa and the Americas. The exhibition unravels the intricate web of trade, power structures and influences, and cultural exchange that underpins history, and examines disparities in the ways seed beads were perceived and the value that was attributed to them. Trinket prompts reflection on the enduring impacts that transoceanic trade has on our contemporary world, opening the possibility of reimagining and reshaping long-established narratives.
On June 13 and 14, a group of scholars and researchers from diverse disciplines will meet in Venice to present their ongoing research and engage in expanded conversations on topics and subject matter that informed the conceptualization of Trinket. The sessions will be divided into different areas of inquiries.
The symposium will offer an interdisciplinary study of material culture, commerce and cultural exchange. Delving into the implications of power dynamics, transnational trade and other structures on which our societies depend, this program will explore the multifaceted research informing Kiwanga’s ambitious project at the Biennale. Please note that this event will be held primarily in English and will be recorded and captioned with French and English subtitles for future viewing.
Participants
Vinicius de Aguiar Furuie, Denise Ferreira da Silva, Nadia Yala Kisukidi, Alexandra Nahwegahbow, Karin Pallaver, Michael J. Prokopow, Anne Ruderman, Pierre Niccolò Sofia, Mabel O. Wilson, Royce K. Young Wolf, Eleni Tsopotou (Ocean Space), Jonathan Shaughnessy (National Gallery of Canada), Gaëtane Verna (Wexner Center for the Arts), Dionne Custer Edwards (moderator), Anaïs Castro (moderator), Carolin Köchling (moderator), Emily Haidet (moderator), Costanza Longanesi Cattani (moderator)
A Coincidence of Wants, the Shape of Value is co-organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Wexner Center for the Arts and held in collaboration with TBA21 – Academy at Ocean Space.
