The Venice Biennale, established in 1895, is the oldest and arguably the most significant international platform within the increasingly global art world.
Scotland + Venice is a partnership between the British Council, Creative Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland. The partnership is the main funder and commissioning body, appointing a different curatorial partner for each Scottish presentation at the Biennale.
Proud to promote new work at one of the world’s most prestigious visual art festivals, Scotland + Venice plays a vital role in helping to raise the profile of Scotland as one of the most vibrant countries for the production, promotion and presentation of contemporary art.
The Scotland + Venice partnership also delivers a personal development programme to give students and recent graduates from across Scotland a unique opportunity to live in Venice for one month and work as Exhibition Assistants at the Scottish presentation.
Scotland + Venice 2019 – Charlotte Prodger
Charlotte Prodger was selected to represent Scotland at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019. Commissioned and curated by Linsey Young with Cove Park, Prodger’s presentation titled 'SaF05' was a new single channel video work that built on her sustained exploration of “queer wilderness”. Prodger developed the work over a series of research and production residencies at Cove Park, one of Scotland’s foremost residency centres and was supported by the artist’s production consultant Mason Leaver-Yap.
On its return to Scotland SaF05 toured the Highlands and Islands, while Dutch arts organisation If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part of Your Revolution led on a subsequent international tour.
Winner of the Turner Prize in 2018, Prodger won the Margaret Tait Award in 2014, was shortlisted for the Jarman Award in 2017 and, in the same year, was awarded a Paul Hamlyn Award. Scotland + Venice provided Prodger with a major international platform at this key moment in her practice.
The British Council is responsible for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale which in 2019 was represented by Glasgow-based artist Cathy Wilkes. Scotland + Venice as an initiative sits within this wider context of British Council’s relationship with the Venice Biennale.
Previous artists represented through Scotland + Venice include Rachel Maclean (2017), Graham Fagen (2015), Karla Black (2011) and Martin Boyce (2009).
