An exhibition of a new and ambitious body of work by artist Shezad Dawood opened in May 2017 to coincide with the 57th Venice Biennale. The show marked the launch of ‘Leviathan‘, a ten-part film cycle conceived and directed by the artist that unfolded over the following three years. Leviathan was also released as a series of written fictions. Episode 1 is available to read here.
The first two episodes of the film were presented alongside a new series of textile and sculptural works in the newly-restored Palazzina Canonica, the former headquarters of the Institute of Marine Sciences in Venice, which opened to the public for the first time since the 1970’s. The two-part exhibition also featured a site-specific intervention in the Fortuny Factory in the island of Giudecca.
Curated by Alfredo Cramerotti, ‘Leviathan’ was presented by the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR) and Fortuny in Venice. Following the launch in May, the project embarked on a three-year UK and international tour, culminating in a final presentation of all ten episodes in 2020.
‘Leviathan’ is set in an imaginary future whose inhabitants are the survivors of a cataclysmic solar event. Each episode is told from the point of view of a different character and follows them as they drift across Europe, Asia and North Africa, encountering a series of idiosyncratic communities. Filming locations include the Institute of Marine Sciences’ oceanographic platform in the Adriatic Sea, the Natural History Museum in London and an abandoned island in the Venetian lagoon.
In dialogue with a wide range of marine biologists, oceanographers, political scientists, neurologists and trauma specialists, Dawood has been exploring some key fault lines of the present and their possible interconnections. Taking a global and collective approach, ‘Leviathan’ is a reflection on where we could be if a deeper understanding of trauma and climate erosion is not found, looking at what is not only a humanitarian crisis, but a wider crisis within our biosphere.
The new series of textile paintings has been developed in dialogue with the renowned textile manufacturer Fortuny, and incorporated several of their hand-made fabrics. Dawood has furthermore been working closely with the Labanof in Milan, an institute that conducts research on personal effects lost by migrants during sea crossings to Lampedusa, in order to help families identify missing relatives. A series of artefacts and objects from the Labanof archive provided the visual references for the new textile works.
The paintings were installed in the library of the Palazzina Canonica, as well as in the showroom of the Fortuny factory in the Giudecca, established in 1919 and still operational today. In addition, a large-scale outdoor neon work titled Island Pattern, developed especially for the Fortuny Factory, was unveiled within the garden façade of the building.
The exhibition in Venice was accompanied by a lively public programme that brought together specialists involved in the project for a series of informal discussions akin to the philosophical “agora” in Ancient Greece. These discussions were also available in digital form through the project’s web platform, creating an archive aimed at scientists, researchers, students and the general public. In addition, a special film programme curated by Shezad Dawood in collaboration with streaming platform MUBI ran throughout the duration of the exhibition, with free film screenings taking place at the Palazzina Canonica.
The third film episode was released in September 2017 and incorporated into the exhibition. Subsequent episodes were co-commissioned and presented in partnership with a series of international venues, culminating in the presentation of all ten episodes in 2020.
The project was developed with the support of Timothy Taylor, Outset Contemporary Art Fund, Galerie Gabriel Rolt, CREAM – University of Westminster, University of Salford Art Collection with support from The Contemporary Art Society and a circle of private patrons. Particular thanks to Ramin Salsali, who as our German trustee was invaluable in realising this project.
Click here to watch trailer.
