The second Zimbabwe Pavilion of the 55th Venice Biennale, commissioned by Doreen Sibanda and curated by Raphael Chikukwa, is hosting Thierry Geoffroy’s Mobile Emergency Room.

An intervention curated by Christine Eyene, as part of “process: immaterial proposal”, the Mobile Emergency Room forms part of the Maldives Pavilion curated by Chamber of Public Secrets. Thierry Geoffroy, a.k.a Colonel, takes on the Maldives as an Emergency case in need of immediate treatment. His work seeks to transform “rigid exhibition spaces” into “elastic and generous exhibition spaces”. As the artist explains: “I will act like a space of generosity, a hunter for climate change Emergency and an art re-distributor”.

The outcome this project will be displayed both online and on site, with regular updates. The space will also be activated by the presence of the curator and artist in the course of the Venice Biennale, with programmed performative conversations and interventions.

The Mobile Emergency Room opens up the Zimbabwe Pavilion from its curatorial theme “Dudziro: Interrogating the Vision of Religious Beliefs” – featuring Virginia Chihota, Rashid Jogee, Michele Mathison, Voti Thebe and Portia Zvavahera – to becoming a hub and space for critical engagement for the art community.

The Zimbabwe Pavilion is organised by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture. Partners are Culture Fund, the Swiss Embassy in Zimbabwe and the European Union with sponsorship from the Goethe Institute, the Zimbabwe German Society and Portnet.

“process: immaterial proposal” at the 55th Venice Biennale is facilitated by a Curators Grant from the Foundation for Arts Initiatives.

Artists with Emergency topics for the Mobile Emergency Room @ the Zimbabwe Pavilion can contact: eyonartmail@gmail.com.

Mobile Emergency Room at the Zimbabwe Pavilion

1 June – 30 Sept. 2013

Zimbabwe Pavilion

Dudziro: Interrogating the Vision of Religious Beliefs

1 June to 24 Nov. 2013