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International artists thematicize the descent of traditional sculpture

Carrara, whose marble quarries for centuries were used by artists such as Michelangelo, Bernini, and Canova, once again becomes the meeting place for international artists.
The city of Carrara experienced the descent of traditional sculpture, with the loss of value of the symbols and ideologies of the 20th Century, more than other places. The monument - once a symbol of power, a catalyst of national values and an irreplaceable part of the collective memory - has now lost these functions. The exhibition of the 14th Biennial, entitled "Post Monument”, traces the process that has changed sculpture in the last century.

Curator Fabio Cavallucci (Manifesta 7) emphasizes 30 works by contemporary artists from around the world, such as Paul McCarthy, Antony Gormley, Yona Friedmann, Santiago Serra, and Monica Bonvicini, including young artists such as Kristian Norman, who created the Pavilion of Estonia at the 2009 Biennale in Venice, the 2010 Marcel Duchamp Award finalist Cyprien Gaillard, and Rosella Biscotti, winner of the 2009 Artissima Awards.

26 of the artists invited to present include new works which factor in the local context and the history of Carrara. Many works were created in the traditional workshops of the city and were designed only after the excursion to appreciate the specific Carrara quarry landscape. Experimental, conceptual and interdisciplinary works have emerged, such as sound installations by Deimantas Narkevicius, the photographic work of Gillian Wearing and the video installation by Cai Guo-Qiang.

In addition to the new work, the exhibition displays the historical monument-production from the end of the 19th Century onwards. The exhibition is complemented by a program of events, conferences, performances and workshops. The catalog will be published by Silvana Editoriale.

Curator: Fabio Cavallucci
Organiser: Council of Carrara, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio of Carrara, Cassa di Risparmio of Carrara
Sponsors: Region Toscana, Provincia di Massa Carrara, Carrara Academy of Fine Arts, etc.

26.06.-10.31.2010, Post Monument
c/o Teatro Animosi, Piazza Cesare Battisti, 54033 Carrara , Italy,
www.labiennaledicarrara.it