2019 Venice Biennale - Report 2

If you're not familiar with the layout Venice Biennale, the are two main compounds; the Arsenal, literally and old expansive arsenal warehouse, and the Giardini, a park like setting where various countries have built their pavilions. There are also dozens of satellite venues throughout the city as well.

Within the Giardini is a pavilion with not particular nationality exclusively represented, just a large number of invited artists from around the globe. I found this installation within this pavilion.

Untitled by Mumbai-based Shilpa Gupta is a cast/wrought iron residential security gate installed with an automatic opening and closing mechanism. The result is a gate that swings back and forth smashing the wall where it finishes its reach in either direction. Perhaps this is a commentary about conditions and security ion Mumbai? Will it last the duration of the Bienalle? Anyway, I did enjoy the piece as it had the same feel (on a smaller scale) as Chris Burden's Sampson, which I was fortunate to see at the Henry Gallery in Seattle a few decades ago.