The 55th Venice Biennale’s Golden Lions


Il Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace)

The Jury of the 55th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia chaired by Jessica Morgan (Great Britain) and comprised of Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy (Mexico), Francesco Manacorda (Italy), Bisi Silva (Nigeria), Ali Subotnick (United States) conferred the awards as follows:

Angola wins the Golden Lion for Best National Participation for the curators and artist who together reflect on the irreconcilability and complexity of site. (Edson Chagas in black leather jacket).
Photograph: Italo Rondinella
Courtesy of the Venice Biennale

Golden Lion for Best National Participation to Angola
Luanda, Encyclopedic City
Edson Chagas
Commissioner: Ministry of Culture. Curators: Beyond Entropy (Paula Nascimento, Stefano Rabolli Pansera), Jorge Gumbe. Venue: Palazzo Cini, Dorsoduro 864

Tino Sehgal wins the Golden Lion for best artist for the excellence and innovation that his practice has brought opening the field of artistic disciplines.
Photograph: Italo Rondinella
Courtesy of the Venice Biennale
  
Golden Lion for best artist in the International Exhibition Il Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace) to Tino Sehgal (Great Britain, 1976; Central Pavilion, Giardini)

Camille Henrot wins the Silver Lion for promising young artist for contributing a new work that in a sensuous and dynamic manner is able to capture our times.
Photograph: Italo Rondinella
Courtesy of the Venice Biennale
 
Silver Lion for a promising young artist in the International Exhibition Il Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace) to Camille Henrot (France, 1978; Corderie, Arsenale)

Sharon Hayes receives a special mention for making us re-think the importance of alterity and the complexity of interplay between the personal and public.
Photograph: Italo Rondinella
Courtesy of the Venice Biennale

The Jury has also decided to assign four special mentions.
Special mentions for artists of the International Exhibition Il Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace):
Sharon Hayes
(USA, 1970; Corderie, Arsenale)
Another special mention for Roberto Cuoghi (Italy, 1973; Corderie, Arsenale) for the significant and compelling contribution to the International Exhibition.
 
Special mentions for National Participations:
to Lithuania and Cyprus for an original curatorial format that brings together two countries in a singular experience.
Cyprus: Lia Haraki, Maria Hassabi, Phanos Kyriacou, Constantinos Taliotis, Natalie Yiaxi, Morten Norbye Halvorsen, Jason Dodge, Gabriel Lester, Dexter Sinister
Commissioner: Louli Michaelidou. Deputy Commissioners: Angela Skordi, Marika Ioannou. Curator: Raimundas Malašauskas. Venue: Palasport Arsenale, Castello (Calle San Biagio)
Lithuania: Gintaras Didžiapetris, Elena Narbutaitė, Liudvikas Buklys, Kazys Varnelis, Vytaute Žilinskaite, Morten Norbye Halvorsen, Jason Dodge, Gabriel Lester, Dexter Sinister
Commissioners: Jonas Jonas Žokaitis, Aurimė Aleksandravičiūtė. Curator: Raimundas Malašauskas. Venue: Palasport Arsenale, Castello (Calle San Biagio)

Japan receives a special mention for the poignant reflection on issues of collaboration and failure.
Photograph: Italo Rondinella
Courtesy of the Venice Biennale
Japan
abstract speaking - sharing uncertainty and collective acts
Koki Tanaka
Commissioner: The Japan Foundation. Curator: Mika Kuraya. Venue: Pavilion at Giardini.

Marisa Merz awarded a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
Photograph: Giorgio Zucchiatti
Courtesy of the Venice Biennale
The Board of la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, also awarded Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement under director Massimiliano Gioni’s proposal to Maria Lassnig (born 1919 in Kappel am Krappfeld, Austria) and Marisa Merz (born in 1926 in Turin, Italy).