'The Knowledge' - The 54th Venice Biennale, 2011

Participating artists:-

Shih Chieh Huang, Tim Brennan, Mat Chivers, Nancy Fouts, Conrad Shawcross, Chiharu Shiota.

The Gervasuti Foundation, Castello, Venice June 2- September 15th, 2011

Curator: James Putnam- Assistant Curator: Eiko Honda

'The Knowledge' is an exhibition conceived especially for the 54th Venice Biennale. The participating artists created a series of dynamic site-specific installations that reflect the current tendency to link artistic practice with scientific principles.

Nowadays scientific knowledge is regarded as empirical and statistical in character, which stands in direct contrast to its older metaphysical aspects. In the seventeenth century inquiries into nature were referred to as "natural philosophy" and "natural science". The term scientia, derives the word "science", meaning "knowledge". The origin of knowlege is wonder and both art and science had common beginnings being united by the feeling of wonder they evoke.

'The Knowledge' aimed to stimulate curioisity in the viewer and included works that play upon our attraction to the wondrous and inherent

curiosity about how things work. Rather than a conventional white-space gallery, the Gervasuti Foundation, a former artisan's workshop, is an evocative atmostpheric buliding steeped in history.

To coincide with the opening of 'The Knowlege' on June 1st during Biennale Press Week, the London based artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster presented a collaborative performance with the critically acclaimed Japanese experimental band, Bo Ningen.

Click on link for Tim Brennan's performance

Click on link for Nancy Fouts interview

Nancy Fouts- 'The Nightwatchman' - Taxidermied owl with felt eye-patch. 2011

Mat Chivers - 'Illuminati'- etching and pigment on stainless steel and aluminium, 2011

Shih Chieh Huang - 'Nocturne Bar' - installation 2011