On Sept. 10, 2022 Padua-based artist Antonio Irre will be hosted at the National Pavilion of Uzbekistan at the Venice Art Biennale with his latest show PLANT STILLNESS.

Debuting at the 59th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, the National Pavilion of Uzbekistan presents Dixit Algorizmi – The Garden of Knowledge, curated and designed by architecture and research studio Space Caviar and Sheida Ghomashchi.

Dixit Algorizmi – The Garden of Knowledge aims to question the myths and origin narratives surrounding modern technologies, using the lens of contemporary art practices to explore their forgotten roots and overlooked resonances with distant places, times and cultures. The project stems from a reflection on the seminal work of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwārizmī, a scientist and polymath born and raised in the city of Khiva (present-day Uzbekistan). The Pavilion takes an innovative approach; instead of exhibiting works, it hosts a diverse program of workshops and public events, including a performance by Antonio Irre.

“PLANT STILLNESS was born out of a long research between art and science on the mysterious world of plants” says Antonio Irre, “plants at a certain point in their evolution decided to stay still, while we animals “decided” to move to look for food or flee dangers. And precisely because they are unable to escape, plants have had to develop their ways of communicating even more than we do: through smells, colors, noises, underground networks, they are able to reorganize themselves in advance and cope with different difficulties.“

The performance is a profound and multisensory experience for the participant: never-before-heard scents, video, stillness, dance, improvised poetry and scientific explanations are the ingredients of the ‘public performance encounter.

Check for more information about the show and Irre’s research on Plant Communication at the page: https://antonioirre.com/plart-project/

September 10th, 2022, 4 p.m.

Uzbekistan National Pavillion

Arsenale, Venezia

Uzbekistan National Pavilion

Commissioner: Gayane Umerova, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Development of Art and Culture under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Special Support: Saida Mirziyoyeva, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Foundation for the Development of Art and Culture under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.