Venice Biennale: A Form of Cultural Heritage? A Dialogue from and within a Unique Urban Context

Authors

  • Miruna Andreea Găman Center of Excellence in Image Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37130/n17z5a96

Keywords:

Biennale, cultural heritage, Authorized Heritage Discourse, art, dialogue

Abstract

The Venice Biennale is arguably the world’s most important art exhibition, with the 2022 edition attracting over 800,000 visitors. The rich artistic offer of the event stands against the backdrop of a UNESCO World Heritage city whose historical, cultural and artistic values are both its blessing and its curse—a place like no other, where the murmur of water echoing along the canals is often drowned by the sound of swarms of tourists, much to the despair of locals, who are driven to leave their city. How does an event like the Biennale juxtapose with such a setting? To what extent, considering its environment (or not), does it become a form of cultural heritage in itself? How does it address the tension between the attempt to capture the essence of relevant contemporary social issues and the duty to upkeep a certain legacy? And how could this reflect on the city, its heritage or its inhabitants? This paper aims to open a discussion at the intersection of cultural heritage and arts.

Author Biography

  • Miruna Andreea Găman, Center of Excellence in Image Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania

    Miruna Andreea Găman is trained as a geographer and has experience in projects at the intersection of cultural heritage, activism, and the arts. She is currently researching the social impact of cultural heritage, with a focus on developing a critical approach to heritage in Romania as part of her PhD at the “Space, Image, Text, Territory” Doctoral School, the Center of Excellence in Image Studies, University of Bucharest.

    Miruna has gathered experience in European organisations and collaborations with international projects and initiatives, such as Europa Nostra, ESACH – European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage, CHARTER – European Cultural Heritage Skills Alliance, and she is currently working in the coordination team of the Horizon- funded project ARCHE (Alliance for Research on Cultural Heritage in Europe). Miruna has also worked with some of the most important local NGOs in Bucharest and the surrounding area in projects presenting cultural heritage to a broader audience or conducting field research on residents’ perception about their environment. She is always looking for new ways that would showcase the importance of culture and heritage, as well as tools to connect the general public to these topics and empower citizens to act.

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Published

2022-12-12

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 2 (2022): I AM ANOTHER YOU. Mediating Intimacy and Body Politics / MOLIÈRE: 400th Anniversary of his Birth

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Găman, M. A. (2022). Venice Biennale: A Form of Cultural Heritage? A Dialogue from and within a Unique Urban Context. CONCEPT, 25(2), 54-69. https://doi.org/10.37130/n17z5a96