Eileen Agar selected for 59th Venice Biennale

Eileen Agar is among the artists selected for this year's Venice Biennale.

 

The 59th edition of the longest-running survey of contemporary art is curated by Cecilia Alemani, a New-York based curator who is the first Italian woman to organise a biennale. 

 

Throughout its history, "the percentage of women participation is dramatically low", and so Alemani has placed an emphasis this year on female artists. Furthermore, 180 of the artists selected are taking part for the first time.

 

Alemani is also interested in "creating a dialogue between different generations", and indeed, Eileen Agar is part of a section of historical 'time capsules', to be displayed in the Central Pavilion. This particular 'time capsule' will focus on international, avant-garde female artists of the twentieth century, such as the Argentinian Leonor Fini, the Italian Carol Rama, and the American Dorothea Tanning.         

 

The 59th Venice Biennale opens on 23 April and continues until 27 November.