I purposefully decided to visit the Canadian Pavilion located in the Giardini of the Biennale without having read the artist statement or the critic’s comments. All I knew was the artist’s name, Abbas Akhavan and the title of the artwork : Entre Chien et Loup (Between Dog and Wolf). As a Canadian, I wondered if I would discover the artist’s intent just by looking at his site-specific installation. Afterall, we are both part of the cultural mosaic that is Canada. It was my first visit to the Giardini yet it was not difficult to identify the Canadian pavilion as it is a contemporary Tipi. Asymmetrical, its architecture would be a challenge for most artist to exhibit in. Akhavan’s minimalist scenography creates three distinct spaces. The first space is the exterior court inhabited by two stones; the larger covered with a tattered water-soaked fur coat, the smaller left au naturel. The second space is the entryway, which holds a pile of bronze pointed sticks. The third, covers approximately one third of the total footprint and was transformed into an above ground pond with lily pads and a mist of water. This was the enigma to solve. What was Akhavan’s intent? What do the rocks represent? Is the larger one covered with fur coat the wolf? Is the smaller a dog? Do they symbolize the transformation of the wild into the tamed? What is the pile of pointed sticks? Is it the work of a beaver, our national animal? Are they tools used by autochthonous to hunt, defend and shelter themselves? Why the pond, Lilly pads, and mist? Is the pond a reminder of the Canadian vast lakes and secret spaces? Are the Lillies oMering a glimpse of hope in an otherwise harsh environment? The mist, as always, makes you wonder. During my three visits I deeply felt the silent vastness of Canada. I heard the loon’s haunting call. That is where Akhavan’s work took me: home. My interpretation was very personal. His installation moved me even if not in the direction he hoped for. The world is going through very diMicult times now. I needed relief for a moment and was able to find it. Canada is often felt to be such a place. Akhavan’s concept is broader, political and historical. His conversation is about the negative eMects of mankind on nature, animals and us all. It alludes at the increasing distance between the have and haves not: “The world has been mapped and plotted and drawn as a garden for the rich who can aMord to live with nature and the rest of us less and less. Even acts of conservation feel like they’re for the elite to have access to and less and less for the poor and many”. To more fully appreciate Akhavan’s social and historical commentaries trough his symbols, one must read his written text. It is often argued that the purpose of conceptual art is to allow an intellectual and philosophical exploration, to invite the audience to connect with the work rather than be a passive onlooker. So,“diverting from the intent of the artist does not mean ones interpretation is wrong, it just proves the artwork is thought-provoking and successful”. It was for me. The site-specific installation is indeed conceptual and warrants the time for appropriate reflection. Will visitors spend the time?
