How do you say ‘bad luck’ professionally? A naked CGI human queries ChatGPT, asking gently about birth dates. The emotion this video evokes is a mix of beleaguerment, absurdism and something new called screen melancholy. It’s chaotic yet invigorating after three days of Biennale-ing.
The Taiwan Pavilion features works like Li Yi-Fan's, whose character morphs into body parts, asking questions about image relationships. There’s also a small act of resistance in free phone charging stations, highlighting the pavilion's unofficial status since 2003 due to Chinese pressure.
Other highlights include Janis Rafa’s haunting video art at Fondazione In Between Art Film, which turns industrial meat plant scenes into surreal and mesmerizing visuals. Lu Yang’s work at Espace Louis Vuitton offers a minimalist counterpoint with reflections in a lunchbox-like chapel, while Iván Tovar's paintings deliver a shockingly revelatory Surrealist experience.
These offsite exhibitions are a visual feast for the senses, blending reality and artifice, offering a taste of what’s to come in the post-digital era. They challenge our perceptions, evoke emotions and leave us questioning the boundaries between life and art.







