Simon Denny’s Secret Power opens in Venice

Simon Denny’s Secret Power opens in Venice

New Zealand’s pavilion for the 2015 Venice Biennale celebrated the official opening last night of artist Simon Denny’s much anticipated exhibition Secret Power.The opening was held at the historic Marciana Library in San Marco Square, one of two venues chosen by the Berlin-based Aucklander for his exhibition.

The Venice Biennale is the world’s largest and most prestigious contemporary arts event and the New Zealand pavilion is split across two sites: Marco Polo Airport, on the outskirts of Venice and the monumental rooms of the Marciana Library. Visitors arriving at the airport have been able to experience the first part of the exhibition, in the arrivals lounge, since it was installed last week.

“We congratulate Simon on an incredible undertaking,” says Dr Dick Grant, Chairman of the Arts Council of New Zealand. “He has pulled off not one, but two jaw-dropping installations for this exhibition in very different, but perfectly chosen venues. It’s exciting to finally see them unveiled.”

“Interest in this year’s New Zealand pavilion has already been phenomenal,” says Commissioner Heather Galbraith. “Simon Denny has a significant international profile and we’re sure Secret Power will be visited by many and much-discussed. The exhibition fits very well with the over-arching theme of the Biennale this year, All the World’s Futures.”

In Secret Power, Denny offers a unique perspective on the visual culture of the Five Eyes—the alliance between the intelligence agencies of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In reflecting on the documents that the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden began leaking in 2013,Secret Power also makes reference to aspects of contemporary and historical Venice.

In the Airport’s arrivals lounge, recreations of the Marciana’s richly painted ceilings span the floor, offering a unique chance to view the symbolism and iconography within these works, which were state-commissioned in the 16th century. A series of plaques, profiling historical maps and mapmakers from the Library’s collection, extends into international territory, greeting travellers as they pass through security into the city.

In the Marciana Library, server racks of the kind used in data-collection facilities contain sculptural interpretations of visuals used by elite intelligence agencies to represent operations and communicate complex programs. As a case study, he has presented interpretations of work found on the public Behance and LinkedIn profiles of former NSA (National Security Agency) creative director David Darchicourt.

Denny says, “While Darchicourt cannot be linked conclusively to any of the documents leaked by Snowden, the works displayed on his public Behance portfolio bear striking visual resemblance to content found in the Snowden slides. Darchicourt presents us with a uniquely human perspective from which to begin unpacking this clandestine visual world.”

“In the Snowden slides and the Darchicourt designs, there are depictions of maps, magicians, and soldiers that draw on fantasy culture, military history, and internet meme culture,” he says. “For me, they resonate in an amazing way with the allegorical paintings in the Marciana, which also use fantastic symbols for complex ideas. In both, images of weapons, soldiers, and philosophers stand in for the importance of the military, duty, and knowledge. It’s amazing how connected these two visual languages can feel, side by side.”

Galbraith says, “Along with other designs, Secret Power includes a large map of New Zealand that Denny commissioned from Darchicourt without reference to its use in the exhibition—an act that hints at the complexities of gathering and presenting intelligence.”

Curator Robert Leonard says, “Denny’s project is a puzzle. Each element is reframed by other elements in an expanding allegory. And yet, despite this complexity, Denny gets us close to his explicit subject—the mindset of the intelligence agencies. Pointedly, he places himself and us (as artist and viewers) in positions similar to these agencies, as we trawl through data and metadata, engaging in analysis, pattern recognition, and profiling, trying to make sense of things.”

Creative New Zealand funds and leads New Zealand’s presence at the Venice Biennale.

Creative New Zealand acknowledges the support of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi and Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa in the realisation of the 2015 exhibition.

The initiative is also generously supported by the NZ at Venice Patrons, Galerie Buchholz, Michael Lett, Petzel Gallery, T293, Arounder.com/Vrway communication, Save S.p.A Group (Marco Polo Airport), and from Liv Barrett, Lonti Ebers, Danny and Lisa Goldberg, Friedrich Petzel, Jackson Tang, and others.

ENDS

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