INDIAN WATER – The Native American Pavilion
On the occasion of the 57th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Zuecca Projects is proud to
present “INDIAN WATER – The Native American Pavilion” by artists Nicholas Galanin and Oscar Tuazon, curated
by Alessandro Possati, supported by Victoria Golembiovskaya and Anastasiya Siro.
Artist Nicholas Galanin envisions the Native American Pavilion as a circle, a welcoming space in the great
longhouse tradition. Working with Oscar Tuazon – who participated in the protest camp at Standing Rock where
indigenous architectures were used to bring global attention to the fight for clean water – the two artists have
made a space for collective action.
The Pavilion is located in the Garden of Ca’ Bembo, the site of Venice’s incinerator during the 19th century.
Although still heavily polluted by carbon monoxide, this large enclosed garden is owned by the University of
Venice and used by children of the local community and the student population of Venice for film screenings
and public events. Currently, the Garden of Ca’ Bembo is occupied by a student protest group aiming to prevent
its sale. Aligned with the preservation mission of the students’ activism, the Pavilion is dedicated to the artistic
movement that flourished around Standing Rock.
The Pavilion is created of wood pylons recovered from the lagoon, where they have been naturally eroded by
the flow of water, and then set in an open circle in the garden’s grounds. Throughout the summer, Galanin and
Tuazon are inviting guest artists to Venice to decorate a pylon and to continue the dialogue around clean water
in a European context.
Victoria Golembiovskaya and Anastasiya Siro of the London-based art advisory House of the Nobleman are
dedicated to partnering with organizations and artists who advocate for environmental preservation, protection,
and restoration of our planet. Believers in the importance and effectiveness of collaborative effort, they seek to
support local and international environmental projects.
Venue: Garden of Ca’ Bembo | Fondamenta Sangiantoffetti, 1075, 30123 Venice
Opening: May 10, 2017 | from 12.00 PM to 12.00 AM
Hours: May 11 – November 26, 2017 | from 12.30 PM
Information and media: info@zueccaprojectspace.com | zueccaprojects.com
Nicholas Galanin
(b. 1979) Tlingit/Unangaxˆ/ Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Nicholas Galanin’s work offers perspective rooted in connection to the land and an intentionally broad
engagement with contemporary culture. For over a decade, Galanin has been embedding incisive observation
into his work, investigating and expanding intersections of culture and concept in form, image, and sound.
Galanin’s works embody critical thought. They are vessels of knowledge, culture, and technology – inherently
political, generous, unflinching, and poetic.
Galanin’s concepts determine his materials and processes. His practice is expansive and includes numerous
collaborations with visual and recording artists, including an ongoing collaboration with his brother and fellow
artist Jerrod Galanin, under the moniker Leonard Getinthecar. He is a member of two artist collectives: Black
Constellation and Winter Count.
The substance and execution of his work engage the past, present, and future. Through two- and threedimensional
works, and time-based media, Galanin encourages reflection on cultural amnesia that actively
obscures collective memory and acquisition of knowledge. Galanin creates sounds moving in time and animals
fixed in space. Splintering apart replica carvings, he destroys the outputs of commodified culture, rearranging
the pieces to reflect its nefarious effects. He creates petroglyphs in sidewalks and coastal rock, masks cut
from books, ceramic arrows in flight, and repurposes handcuffs, which he engraves, formerly used to remove
Indigenous children from their families, naming them children’s bracelets.
Galanin has apprenticed with master carvers and jewelers. He earned his BFA at London Guildhall University in
Jewelry Design, and his MFA in Indigenous Visual Arts at Massey University in New Zealand. Nicholas Galanin
lives and works in Sitka, Alaska.
Oscar Tuazon
(b. 1975)
A native of Seattle, Oscar Tuazon attended Deep Springs College, Cooper Union, and the Whitney Independent
Study Program. In 2001 he served as a founding board member of the Center for Urban Pedagogy in New York
with his former Deep Springs classmate Damon Rich.
Professionally, he began his career working in the Studio Acconci of architect/artist Vito Acconci. After moving
to Paris in 2007, he began exhibiting widely in Europe. He has since then exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the
Whitney Biennial, and many groups and solo shows throughout the world, and is in major art collections such as
Saatchi’s.
Zuecca Projects
Zuecca Projects is a nonprofit Cultural Organisation involved in the conception, creation,
and development of interdisciplinary projects in the realm of contemporary art,
architecture, and film. Its primary activity revolves around the different Venice Biennales,
and however international projects are developed regularly based on specifically targeted
partnerships.
Zuecca Projects was established in 2011 on the intuition of Alessandro Possati, its
founder, and director. Zuecca Projects manages two exhibition venues: Zuecca Project
Space, on Giudecca Island, Venice; Spazio Ridotto, at Calle del Ridotto, San Marco, Venice.
Since 2011, the Organization Zuecca Projects has been promoting, through Spazio
Ridotto and Zuecca Project Space, an extensive list of interdisciplinary projects, firmly
linked to the most advanced and innovative contemporary contexts. International artists
and architects such as Rirkrit Tiravanija (2012), Ai Weiwei (2013), Lola Schnabel (2013),
Eisenman Architects (2014), John Giorno (2015), Atelier Van Lieshout (2016) and Slater
B. Bradley (2016), were exhibited by the organization.
House of the Nobleman
House of the Nobleman is a multi-faceted arts organization offering arts advisory,
curatorial services, and private dealership. It organizes privately sponsored, satellite art
exhibitions and corresponding events to build brand awareness for a diverse clientele,
including property developers and owners, luxury brands, and private banks. Under the
direction of founder Victoria Golembiovskaya, House of the Nobleman collaborates with
partners to curate immersive displays in distinct environments.
House of the Nobleman also functions as an art advisory and professional consulting
practice. We have nurtured a global network of private collectors, galleries, artists,
and professional advisors to call upon, and have access to experts in old masters,
modern, postwar, and contemporary art and design. We even take care of all logistics,
from architecture to furniture design. With our team’s marketplace savvy, professional
connections, and ability to handle complex production, House of the Nobleman provides
only the highest quality art advice to its clients.