OTHER HOME - MONGOLIA PAVILION at La Biennale di Venezia 2015

Mongolia has a living tradition of nomadic life specific in its everyday interaction with nature. The nomads live through seasonal migration without causing any modifications to environment and create their life based solely on natural resources. The Mongolia Pavilion presents Unen Enkh and Enkhbold Togmidshiirev, two artists who work with organic materials from Mongolian nomadic life and raise questions about global problems of cultural otherness and modern-day alienation from nature. Venice was first built by mainland residents fleeing invasions by nomads, including Attila and the Huns in the 5th century. Centuries later, the Venetian merchant Marco Polo (1254–1324) traveled to the Mongol Empire, where he spent 16 years at Khubilai Khaan’s (1215-1294) court.

Building upon the historical legacy of Venice’s relationship with nomads and Mongols, the Mongolia Pavilion consists of two types of art presentation: a sedentary pavilion space at the Palazzo Mora and a nomadic pavilion. 

The new era of globalization is characteristic of high technology and mobility between continents often resulting in questions of one’s belonging. The Mongolia Pavilion responds to global problem of displacement through a multifaceted notion of one’s “home” as the site for sharing energies between peoples and cultures in any part of global world. (Text by Curator

Uranchimeg Tsultemin)

Enkhbold (b. 1978) a young emerging artist, born and raised in Mongolian countryside, moved to the capital Ulaanbaatar as a college student. For him, the human-born landscape, and man-made urban forms constitute the unnecessary division that he questions in many ways through his installations and performance works. He is selective in his media and locales for his performances as he explores the ideas of divide and compromise, interior and exterior spaces as critical elements of urban life. Since 2009, the artist has been carrying his self created home “ger” and traveling around Finland, Holland and Great Britain, building his home in the midst of big cities, on beaches and on the sides of highways. In these performances, he experiments with the feeling of the inside of the “ger” and its connection to the space and people outside, exchanging contrasting energies through by means of awakening his senses of sight, smell, touch and hearing. He was invited to participate in the 2012 Shanghai International Art Biennale and the 2011 Asia Triennial Manchester for his performances. Enkhbold’s two-dimensional works, made primarily of horse dung, ash, sand, and wood are displayed at the Palazzo Mora. With these works, Enkhbold joins the artists who defy the traditional concept of painting and its usual materials. Enkhbold’s performance art in Venice further develops ideas that he has explored previously at different locales around the world, questioning the division between urban forms and his nature-based ger (yurt).

(Text by Curator

Uranchimeg Tsultemin)

Since his debut in the art world, artist Enkhbold has established himself as Mongolia‘s foremost performance artist. During his visits to Europe (UK, 2011) and his residency programs there (Holland, 2009), Enkhbold presented several performances, setting up his small portable ger on an empty beach, near a windmill, and outside of a museum. The idea of this portable little home that travels and changes with its occupant constitutes the core of his art concept. Enkhbold is selective of the locations for his ger, and the choice of the locations raises questions about cultural distinctness and compatibility of culturally different identity with the new environment, either a new landscape or cityscape. As part of the Mongolian exhibition at the Venice Biennale, in May 2015, Enkhbold presented a nomadic pavilion, wandering with his portable ger, which he has made specifically for Venice. The City of Venice was built by residents fleeing invasions by nomads, including Attila and the Huns in the 5th century. Centuries later, Ve­netian merchant Marco Polo (1254–1324) traveled to the Mongol Empire, where he spent 16 years at the Mongol Khan’s court. Enkhbold’s performance art was built upon the historical legacy of Venice’s relationship with nomads and Mongols. (Text by Curator Uranchimeg Tsultemin).

Mongolia’s first appearance at La Biennale di Venezia is initiated and organized by the Mongolian Contemporary Art Support Association (MCASA), chaired by Ms. Gantuya Badamgarav. Appointed as Commissioner by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science of Mongolia, Gantuya assembled the Mongolia Pavilion organizing team, which includes curator Dr. Uranchimeg Tsultemin, international adviser David A. Ross, and production adviser Dr. Boldbaatar Chultemin. The Mongolia Pavilion is funded by leading Mongolian businesses and supported by Bat-Uul, Mayor of Ulaanbaatar City. The fundraising was aided by artist and musician Yoko Ono, winner of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2004 Venice Biennale. Inauguration of Mongolia Pavilion held on Thursday, May 7th at 5.00pm at European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Mora Second Floor, Cannaregio 3659, 30121 Venice, Italy. Exhibition dates are May 9 until November 22, 2015.  

Over 40 Mongolians including political authorities, private sponsors, journalists, artists and others, came to Venice to attend the opening of Mongolia Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia.