Venice Biennale, The Nationals: Nordic Pavilion

For those who have the 55th Venice Biennale on their itineraries, we offer quick picks in the form of slide shows, appearing over the coming days, of one- and two-person shows at the national pavilions. With 88 countries participating, 10 for the first time, it’s impossible to be comprehensive. So we aim to serve visitors with limited time, attending just the two main venues: Giardini and Arsenale. Wherever you wander in Venice, however, keep your eyes peeled for the red Biennale logo, signaling nationals tucked into churches and palazzi.

Photos by Paola Ferrario.

IT’S ALIVE: NORDIC PAVILION (Giardini) In the immersive multi-media installation Mirrors of e/den, Finnish artist Terike Haapoja materializes the invisible, presenting a sound track of the photosynthesis of trees in an on-site garden, and floor-projected videos of colored heat waves in the bodies of newly dead animals. Other oddly seductive displays include decomposing leaves and extreme close-ups of facial bacteria.