Venice Biennale opens with focus on foreignness, migration and exile

The Venice Biennale art exhibition officially opened to visitors on Saturday, with prizes awarded to Indigenous artists and a focus on marginalized groups.

Australian Archie Moore and the New Zealand artist group Mataaho Collective received the top prizes at the event's official opening.

Further prizes were awarded to Italian-Brazilian painter and sculptor Anna Maria Maiolino and the Turkish graphic artist and photographer Nil Yalter, who received a Golden Lion for their life's work.

Archie Moore designed the Australian pavilion, called "Kith and Kin" and received the Golden Lion for the best national contribution.

In his exhibition in the Giardini venue, Moore, himself an Aborigine, addresses the history of his people, showing a family tree of two Australian aboriginal tribes handwritten in chalk on the walls and ceiling of the exhibition.

The prize for the best artist went to the Mataaho Collective, a group of four Maori women artists. They are showing large-format fibre installations that deal with the intricacies of life and the knowledge systems of the Maori in the Arsenale venue.

This year's edition focuses on the experience of foreignness and the themes of migration and exile. Under the title "Foreigners Everywhere," being and feeling foreign will play an important role, the organizers said.

The curator Adriano Pedrosa from Brazil has invited 330 artists from various countries with numerous works. In addition, more than 80 countries are taking part in the Biennale with their own national contributions.

An international art audience is expected in the Giardini, the Arsenale and other venues in the historic northern Italian city for the 60th edition of the exhibition, which runs until November 24.

Alongside the documenta in the German city of Kassel, the art biennial is considered the most important presentation of contemporary art and attracts artists and guests from around the world.

Israeli artist Yael Bartana and Berlin theatre director Ersan Mondtag are exhibiting in the German Pavilion in the Giardini. In addition, four other artists are showing their work for Germany on the island of La Certosa.