Story by Patience Nyagato
ZIMBABWE is strengthening its presence on the international arts stage through its participation at the 61st Venice Biennale currently underway in Venice, Italy.
This year’s Zimbabwe Pavilion, titled Second Nature: Manyonga, brings together five Zimbabwean artists whose works explore themes of identity, memory, transformation, spirituality and humanity’s relationship with the environment.
The prestigious global exhibition has drawn millions of visitors to Venice, with one of the major highlights being In Minor Keys, the main exhibition of the 61st Venice Biennale, which features artistic conversations from across the world alongside 99 national pavilions showcasing diverse cultural identities through contemporary art.
Zimbabwe is among the participating nations presenting its own narrative through Second Nature: Manyonga, curated by Fadzai Muchemwa.
Muchemwa said the exhibition reflects Zimbabwe’s evolving artistic voice and the resilience embedded within its cultural identity.
“Arriving at Second Nature has been quite a long journey. We started showing here in 2011 with Seeing Ourselves and that was about visibility, making sure people knew what Southern African art was because certain platforms were always closed off to stories from countries like ours. But now it’s about the kind of visibility we want to show people.
“Second Nature is more about adaptation, about life events that reconfigure how we view the world and how we want to be seen. It came from the brain’s ability to rewire itself. We have a saying in Zimbabwe about ‘making a plan’ if one way is closed, you make a way. That is essentially what second Nature is about,” she said.
Inside the pavilion, visitors are introduced to works by artists including Eva Raath and Pardon Mapondera, whose pieces reflect on culture, environment and contemporary society.
“I talk a lot about spirituality and our way of life in my art pieces. In this world, I explore how people invest so much in their outside appearance, forgetting the man inside,” artist Pardon Mapondera said.
“My exhibitions have a lot of memories. The other piece is a tribute to my dad, who was a journalist, while others are on my childhood memories,” artist Eva Raath said.
Visitors touring the Zimbabwe Pavilion said they have been impressed by the country’s continued presence on the global arts stage and the way Zimbabwean stories are being shared through contemporary art.
“I am impressed by the Zimbabwe Pavilion. I have been watching it since its first episode when I came here. I think a lot of african countries can learn from Zimbabwe and how they have maintained their consistency,” a visitor to the pavilion said.
“Zimbabwe has a beautiful gallery. I have been here a few times, and it’s always up to scratch,” another visitor said.
The global showcase, which attracts millions of visitors from around the world, runs until November, and Zimbabwe is making sure its voice is part of that international conversation.
