Considered by many to be the world’s most prestigious art event, the Venice Biennale usually takes place every two years, with an incredible array of exhibitions, projects and performances spread across the historic city. Originally scheduled to take place in 2021, the next edition of the Biennale has been moved to 2022 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but plans for the artistic extravaganza are already well underway.
Alongside the official Biennale programme, many institutions and organisations take the opportunity to stage concurrent exhibitions in Venice, adding to the amazing mix of work on show. Among such offerings in 2022 will be PERSONAL STRUCTURES, an exhibition organised by the European Cultural Centre set to take place across three locations: Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora and the Giardini della Marinaressa. Included in the exhibition, which will run from April 23rd - November 27th 2022, is our very own James Earley. The news marks an ongoing connection for Earley with Venice, with the artist having recently been selected as winner of the Venice International Art Award in December 2020.
Regarding his inclusion in PERSONAL STRUCTURES Earley explains:
“I am really looking forward to working with the European Cultural Centre as I really admire what they are trying to achieve. Their aim is to promote art in all corners of the world and establish art centres in places where art access is limited or non-existent. I am particularly looking forward to displaying my work in the historic Palazzo Bembo, which is a beautiful building. To show my work in Venice is really a dream come true.
“My work is quite hard hitting and is political so I think what pleases me most is the shift in the art world to not close its eyes to these issues and instead help use art to change the world.”
Earley plans to create a whole new series of work to display at the exhibition. In the meantime, we’ve taken the opportunity to look at some of Earley’s recent work below.
Syria
“Syria” by James Earley. Original oil painting 100cm x 70cm, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
“Syria is the story of a boy who has seen war for most of his life and cannot forget the terror of the air strikes. The painting asks us to look deep as to what we stand for.
“[The children of Syria] were seen as collateral damage, less important than power and money. I also remember seeing a drawing by a Syrian child of his thoughts of this war and I copied this drawing to create a tattoo on the boy’s chest, a scar that will stay with the child forever.” James Earley
A Conversation between a Syrian Boy and a Foreign Bomb
Image: “A Conversation between a Syrian Boy and a Foreign Bomb” by James Earley. Original oil painting 90cm x 60cm, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
“A Conversation between a Syrian Boy and a Foreign Bomb is a painting of a child who fortunately has escaped the madness of Syria and is now in a refugee camp in Turkey. This painting looks at the real reason behind the war in Syria.” James Earley
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