The article is a scathing critique of the Venice Biennale, describing it as a morally bankrupt spectacle where spectacle, sponsorship, and political theatre overshadow the art itself. The author, writing as an audio technician for ART AFRICA, observes the exhaustion, humiliation, and performative activism that pervade the event, with superyachts, branded tote bags, and luxury-sponsored panels replacing genuine engagement. The piece highlights how artists are processed like luggage, cultures are commodified, and the Biennale functions as a "floating tax haven for cultural capital" rather than a meaningful exhibition.
This matters because the Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious art events globally, and this critique exposes deep systemic issues within the contemporary art world: the prioritization of networking and branding over artistic integrity, the economic overdetermination of cultural production, and the complicity of institutions in perpetuating inequality. The article challenges readers to question the value of such mega-exhibitions and the role of art in an era of late capitalism, where moral seriousness is performed but rarely practiced.