President to open Estonian natl pavilion at Venice Biennale

TALLINN - Estonian President Alar Karis and his spouse are to embark on visit to Italy where the president will open the Estonian national pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale Art Festival on Wednesday.

The Estonian exhibition will this time take place at the heart of the festival, on the most visited main street of the Giardini della Biennale gardens. The head of state will be accompanied at the opening of the Estonian pavilion by Minister of Culture Tiit Terik.

Karis will also visit the pavilions of other states, the Arsenale exhibition site and the Ca' Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art to discuss cooperation opportunities for exhibiting the works of Estonian artists in the future.

The Estonian pavilion will display a cooperation project by artists Kristina Norman and Bita Razavi and art curator Corina L. Apostol titled "Orchidelirium: An Appetite for Abundance" drawing on the life and works of Emilie Rosalie Saal, an artist of Estonian origin.

The Dutch Mondriaan Fund has invited Estonia to display its exhibition as a guest at the Rietveld pavilion at the heart of the Giardini gardens. The Rietveld pavilion is the most visited exhibition venue of the biennale and Estonia can thus expect greater attention that usual.

The Estonian pavilion at the Venice Biennale is the largest and most important international art project for the Estonian state. The Estonian pavilion is organized by the Estonian Center for Contemporary Art and Estonia's participation in the art festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture.

The Venice Biennale Art Festival, held since 1895, is the oldest and most important international event of contemporary art. Estonia has been participating in the biennale since 1997. This year, a total of 1,422 works of art by 213 artists from 58 states will be on display at the festival.

The head of state and his spouse are scheduled to return to Estonia late on Wednesday evening.