Foreigners Everywhere (featuring Pacita Abad): 60th Venice Biennale

The 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere, will open to the public on Saturday, April 20 at the Venice Giardini. Pacita Abad has been invited to participate in this year’s presentation, amongst an international roster of artists representing themes of migration as well as historical and present marginalization.

Pacita Abad, who came to the US in the 1970s and later traveled across dozens of countries worldwide, was largely impacted by the many cultures she engaged with. Her work often served as tableaus reflecting life in the margins, particularly for immigrants and refugees, and marked important moments in time whose impact still resonates with global audiences today.

"Artists have always traveled and moved about, under various circumstances, through cities, countries and continents, something that has only accelerated since the late 20th century—ironically a period marked by increasing restrictions regarding the dislocation or displacement of people. The Biennale Arte 2024’s primary focus is thus artists who are themselves foreigners, immigrants, expatriates, diasporic, émigrés, exiled, or refugees—particularly those who have moved between the Global South and the Global North. Migration and decolonization are key themes here." 

–Adriano Pedrosa, Curator of the 60th International Art Exhibition