The Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia is now officially open to the public. Admission is free, and the pavilion can be visited at Tana Art Space (Fondamenta de la Tana no. 2111), a new venue strategically located between the Arsenale and the Giardini.
The title of the Pavilion, Sea of Sound, refers to the vast array of sounds and frequencies in which we are immersed and to our ability to perceive, select and translate them into personal experiences, also through the filter of emotion. Representing the world’s oldest republic is Northern Irish artist Mark Francis (Newtownards, Northern Ireland, 1962), with the project Sea of Sound, curated by Luca Tommasi.
The exhibition presents a previously unseen body of paintings by the artist, who has long been interested in exploring the physical and poetic relationships between art, sound and science. Since the 1990s, Mark Francis has developed a practice predominantly focused on abstract painting. A sonic and emotional experience is translated into works that evoke auditory sensations through visual representation, within a synesthetic and multisensory dimension.
The San Marino Pavilion is designed and produced by FR Istituto d’Arte Contemporanea S.p.a.
The Pavilion’s graphic identity originates from a painting overlaid with the three iconic towers of Mount Titano, projecting waves of freedom, independence and creativity. They serve as privileged listening points and acoustic shelters above the “sea of sound” evoked by the artist.
