Press releases

MINSK, 11 May (BelTA) – Belarus is represented by the art project Stol (table) during La Biennale di Venice, the 57th international art exhibition in Venice, Italy. The official opening ceremony of the national pavilion took place on 11 May, representatives of the Belarusian Culture Ministry told BelTA.

It is a project by the prominent Belarusian painter Roman Zaslonov. The co-authors are the producer Viktor Lobkovich and the movie director Sergei Talybov. The art project Stol is a 32-minute video featuring more than 20 short scenes that happen one by one with a table in the background as the key and unchanging object. The table is envisaged as a stage where dramatic, comic, and philosophical plots unfold. The table also acts as the key witness and even an actor in each scene. Instead of simply watching the developments from afar, viewers are invited to share the table with characters of the art video.

According to the source, the subtle performance of Belarusian actors, painters, and even regular people, who are in no way connected with the art world, adds vivid individuality and a philosophical ring to the Stol project in addition to a wide range of shades of sense from subtle self-irony to tragic elements. The concept and its implementation are in full compliance with the theme of the 57th international art exhibition in Venice — Viva arte viva. Once the biennale is over, Roman Zaslonov’s project will be put on display in the National Center for Modern Arts in Belarus.

2017 is the fourth year representatives of modern Belarusian art have taken part in the international art exhibition in Venice. The national pavilion has been organized by the Belarusian Culture Ministry, the National Center for Modern Arts with assistance of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Belarus in Italy. The Belarusian export and import insurance company Eximgarant of Belarus has provided sponsorship.

The 57th international art exhibition in Venice, Italy is one of the most prominent forums dedicated to modern art. The biennale is scheduled to last till 26 November 2017.