At the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, Ivory Coast is represented by four artists: Ernest Dükü, Ananias Léki Dago, Valérie Oka, Tong Yanrunan who, with their works merge in a common line, an intimate vision of the world, giving a precious and an important contribution to the contemporary art.

The Pavilion Commissioner is Henri Nkoumo, art critic and Director of plastic and visual arts of Ministry of Culture and Francophony of the Ivory Coast, the Curator is Massimo Scaringella, independent curator who is recognized for his intense interchange with the non – European countries.

The exhibition titled The Open Shadows of Memory, presents works that speak of the mother earth as a collection of the memories of humanity.

Ernest Dükü works on the borders of painting, sculpture and installation, around the notion of  “masquerade”. The spider, hero of tales in Africa, is the philosophical foundation of his creations. The metaphors of his works are a mirror that allows the viewer to face the questions of his articulated world.

Ananias Léki Dago, photographer, works in the old-fashioned way. He walks his camera along African roads and offers us black and white renderings. His work tells the story of the oversights and controversial aspirations of the new generations of Africans.

Valérie Oka, who started with furniture design, uses drawing and photography to tell, with great enthusiasm, about the forgotten heroes of her land and the erased beauties of Africa. She sometimes highlights her images with hand-drawn highlights that strongly recall the gestures of the ancestors reading their future on the sand.

Tong Yanrunan with his pictorial portraits that go beyond realism reveals the memory of humanity without revealing feelings and social differences, thus leaving the viewer free to meet his own “Alter ego”.

The Pavilion is located in Castello Gallery (Castello 1636/A – Via Garibaldi e Riva dei Sette Martiri), in front of the San Marco Basin, strategic position between Giardini and Arsenale.