From a beetle on horseback to an underground forest, these artworks at the Biennale Gherdëina in Italy's Tyrolean Alps are as intriguing as they are powerful. Now in its ninth edition, the Biennale Gherdëina is showcasing over 30 artists and collectives – bringing new commissions, existing artworks and performances into dialogue with the spectacular Dolomites – as well as the rich Ladin folklore and culture that inhabits it. Curated by Italian historian and art , with Marta Papini as assistant curator, 2024’s exhibition takes as its theme ‘The Parliament of Marmots’.
This title borrows from a local Ladin myth about the Fanes – the legendary founding population of the Ladins, who were prosperous because of their alliance with the marmots with whom they shared the land. Leaning into cultural connections between the region and the Mediterranean, participating artists – spanning a range of disciplines – come from across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Building on Ladin legend, they are engaging with the land as a space to encounter history and nature, but also on which to write new stories.
Perched on a picturesque hillside, the grand Castel Gardena is playing host to a number of artworks in the Biennale – among them Diana Policarpo’s Anguane’s Fountain (2024), which sits in the historic castle’s courtyard. Policarpo’s ethereal sculpture, sprouting from an ancient fountain, was inspired by the shape of a carnivorous sponge from the depths o.
