Abstract
Steve McQueen’s Giardini (2009) was a film installation made specifically for the British pavilion at the 53rd Biennale. It pondered the architectural and ideological grounds of Venice’s ageing institution of art. Filmed in the winter, the Giardini della Biennale were made to appear derelict, abandoned by the summer exposition crowds and left to the effects of nature. Viewers were positioned within a heritage of ruin-gazing that extends back through the picturesque tradition, and which had been familiar to the Venice of Englishmen such as Byron, Turner and Ruskin. In this film, the national pavilions took on the character of so many follies, in a proleptic fantasy or ‘fairytale’ that challenged a line of imperial imaginaries handed down from Scipio, Gibbon and Speer.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callSimilar Papers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
