Artists who have represented Britain at the Venice Biennale

Tracey Emin (2007)

Tracey Emin became the second solo female artist to exhibit at the British Pavilion, following Rachel Whiteread in 1997. She described her exhibition, Borrowed Light, as her “most feminine body of work so far, very sensual but at the same time…graphically sharp.”

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Gilbert and George (2005)

For their exhibition at the 51^st Venice Biennale, Gilbert and George produced an entirely new body of work entitled Gingko Pictures. The leaf of the gingko tree - its symmetry and symbolism – appeared as a regular motif throughout the group of works.

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Richard Hamilton (1993)

Richard Hamilton was 71 when he represented Britain at the 45^th Venice Biennale. By then, the technologies he had revered in earlier works had become the tools of the political elite, as suggested in Treatment Room, which was presented in his exhibition in the British Pavilion. Hamilton won the Leone d’Oro for the exhibition.



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Richard Long (1976)

For the 37^th Venice Biennale, it was agreed that each nation’s exhibition should be related by a common theme. In 1976, the theme was ‘The Environment’. Richard Long, known for creating works with natural materials, was commissioned to produce a site-specific artwork especially for the British Pavilion.

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Roger Hilton and Joe Tilson (1964)

Since the late 1960s the British Pavilion has had a solo show format, however, before then several artists would be selected to represent Britain. For the 32^nd Venice Biennale, Roger Hilton and Joe Tilson were chosen to exhibit alongside Bernard Meadows and Gwyther Irwin. Roger Hilton was awarded the UNESCO Prize and Joe Tilson was praised by the critics for his “pop art style independent of American influence”.

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Ceri Richards (1962)

For the 31^st Venice Biennale, Welsh painter and printmaker Ceri Richards was selected to exhibit alongside Robert Adams and Hubert Dalwood. He was awarded the Giulio Einaudi Prize for his exhibition of paintings inspired by the French Impressionist composer, Debussy.

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Victor Pasmore (1960)

Victor Pasmore’s British Pavilion exhibition at the 30^th Venice Biennale drew attention to his three dimensional abstract constructions, a departure from his earlier figurative paintings. He exhibited alongside artists Geoffrey Clarke, Henry Cliffe, Merlyn Evans and Eduardo Paolozzi.

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Francis Bacon and Ben Nicholson (1954)

The main room of the 27^th Venice Biennale British Pavilion exhibition featured works by Francis Bacon, Ben Nicholson and Lucien Freud. It attracted rapturous reviews from the British press and Ben Nicholson was awarded the Ulisse Prize. Also exhibiting that year were Henry Moore and Ceri Richards.

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Henry Moore (1948)

For the 24^th Venice Biennale, the first to take place after WWII, sculptures by Henry Moore were exhibited at the British Pavilion alongside paintings by J.M.W Turner. Henry Moore’s exhibition won him the International Sculpture Prize and had a huge impact on his subsequent career.

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More about the 56^th Venice Biennale in 2015

The Venice Biennale is the world’s longest-running and most prestigious art biennial. The British Council has managed the British Pavilion in Venice since 1938, and this year, Sarah Lucas will be exhibiting at the British Pavilion from 9 May to 22 November 2015.

Find out more about the British Pavilion in Venice

Artimage will be attending the Biennale this year, so keep an eye out for updates and photos on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Image credits from top: I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW, 2007, Tracey Emin © Tracey Emin, All rights reserved, DACS 2015; Fates, 2005, Gilbert and George © Gilbert & George, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: Gilbert and George Studio; Treatment Room, 1984, Richard Hamilton © R. Hamilton, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Image: © Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre; A Line of 682 stones, 1976, Richard Long © Richard Long, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: Richard Long; Shell, 1968, Roger Hilton © Estate of Roger Hilton, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Image: © Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre; Space Trophy, 1961-62, Joe Tilson © Joe Tilson, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Image: © Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre; Blue Interior with Dice, 1950, Ceri Richards © Estate of Ceri Richards, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Image: © Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre; Photo of Mural Relief, 1958 - at Staff Centre, Pilkington Glass Works, St. Helen's Lancashire, (Since removed), Victor Pasmore © Estate of Victor Pasmore, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: John Pasmore; Two Figures, 1953, Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2015. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd; 1946 (still life), Ben Nicholson © Angela Verren Taunt 2015, All rights reserved, DACS, Image: © Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre; Stringed Figure, 1938, Henry Moore © The Henry Moore Foundation, All Rights Reserved, DACS 2015, Image: © Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre.