Maldives Pavilion


The Maldives Pavilion represents the Republic of the Maldives at the International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia among the National Pavilions. The inaugural Pavilion was introduced in 2013 for the 55th Venice Biennale, curated by Massimiliano Gioni. The Commissioner of the Pavilion is The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Republic of the Maldives. The inaugural pavilion explored the themes of ecological romanticism and climate crisis.
Alfredo Cramerotti, Aida Eltorie and Khaled Ramadan are members of the curatorial collective Chamber of Public Secrets who curated the first Maldives pavilion at Venice Biennale 2013, http://maldivespavilion.com/blog/

Maldives Pavilion 2013

Portable Nation: Disappearance as Work in Progress – Approaches to Ecological Romanticism, The first presentation of the National Pavilion of the Maldives, was presented from June 1 through to November 24 of 2013.
Presented as an international exhibition devoted to the topic of climate change and eco-aesthetics, the Pavilion combined the dual focuses of the beauty of the nation's landscapes with the rich visual history of this Republic. The exhibition provided an "aesthetical experience and extensive knowledge of the concept of Contemporary Environmental Romanticism through the works of the Official Artists and the Collateral Events.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Republic of the Maldives serve as the Commissioner of the Pavilion and appointed the Curators of this exhibition, the international collective CPS – Chamber of Public Secrets. As part of the curatorial background, CPS notes that "A 60 cm raise in sea levels would see the entirety of the Maldives smothered by the ocean and make the Maldivian population probably the first refugees of global warming." Considered as being one of the most endangered Countries by the current sea level rise associated with climatological effects of human influences, nature as a culturally defined etymology is used as a point of departure for explorations of the ethics of climate change contingencies such as the possibility of climate refugees
The subtitle of the Pavilion, , conceived the Maldives Pavilion as a platform for artists, environmental campaigners, and thinkers.
The venue of the Pavilion was the Gervasuti Foundation on via Garibaldi, a former Wood-shop since converted into a foundation. During the time of the Exhibition, the foundation operated as an exhibition space, a bookstore, as well as a terrace cafe with weekly curated events presented by Curator-in-Residence Mike Watson of Joan of Art: Towards a Free Education, through the Collateral Events programming.
As part of the preview program of the Biennale, the Pavilion realized an ephemeral outdoor installation: The Ice Monolith. Participating artist Stefano Cagol placed a block of ice from the Italian Alps on the shore of Venice in Riva Cà di Dio and symbolically left it melting, shooting the entire 60 hours process.
The exhibition catalogue was published in 2014 by Maretti Editore and is entitled: Portable Nation. Maldives Pavilion, edited by Dorian Batycka, Camilla Boemio, Alfredo Cramerotti, Aida Eltoire, Maretti Editore, 2013

Commissioner

Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Republic of the Maldives

Curators

About the art and curatorial collective
Chamber of Public Secrets
Chamber of Public Secrets is an art and curatorial collective. CPS was established in Berlin-Copenhagen in 2004 by artists Khaled Ramadan, Alfredo Crammerotti and Stine Hoxbroe.
The collective network of artists, curators and writers managed to providing a platform for the kind of artistic expression that goes beyond what is recognized on the global art scene.
In 2005-06 CPS started it first experimental TV broadcast on tv-tv / Copenhagen Channel. Tv-tv group inherited the TV Stop station from a group of political activists who established the channel in 1989. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_STOP
Up to the closing of tv-tv in 2010 members of CPS collective has produced more than 55 programs about 200 hours of TV documentaries addressing the consequence of socio-political developments around the world and the withdrawal of a silent intellectual majority from the social spectrum into the narrow passages of academia.
Projects curated by CPS
Manifesta 8 The European Biennial, Spain
Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, is known to be as Europe only roving, contemporary art event, showcasing the most innovative work by artists and curators from around the world. Manifesta an early 1990s Dutch initiative took shape as the International Foundation Manifesta, an independent and not-for-profit organisation with offices in Amsterdam.
In 2010 CPS co-curated the Manifesta 8 in Murcia, Spain under the theme of the Rest is History. CPS aimed at specific way to curate the project, to make use of the location and its particular reality, not merely to utilise it for site-specific projects but rather to integrate the sites into the broader artistic project as a resource of intellectual capital to provide all participants with an ample opportunity for research and innovation as according to curators Khaled Ramadan and Alfredo Cramerotti.
http://www.chamberarchive.org/blog/category/biennials/manifesta/
The 3rd Guangzhou Triennial, China
The Middle East Video Channel
‘The Middle East Channel’ at ‘Farewell to Colonialism’ was CPS contribution to the 3rd Guangzhou Triennial. The focus was on how the Middle East region viewed and documents itself, primarily at the hands of its own cultural practitioners.
The Middle East Video Channel focused on categories like sociological or anthropological video trends, short illustrative documentary and video as a tool of political activism.
The Middle East Video Channel project was on display simultaneously to the Third Guangzhou Triennial at the UCCA in Beijing.
CPS, Khaled Ramadan was a Research Curator, 3rd Guangzhou Triennial
http://www.chamberarchive.org/blog/category/biennials/guangzhou-triennial/
CPS new media production center in Turkey
Media Art Research Center
MARC is CPS’ research-based, media art production and exhibition space located in the city of Antalya, Turkey. CPS collective established the center in 2016. MARC is an event-driven space dedicated to innovative visual content, collaborative projects, and educational endeavours. MARC’s mandate is to develop and promote aesthetical experiences related to human history. It bridges and nurtures the relationship between cultural institutions and the public by ways of collaborating with artists from Europe, Turkey and the Arab world.
Secret Chamber Press
CPS establish own publishing house the Secret Chamber Press SCP.
In 2017 Secret Chamber Press was established in Copenhagen. SCP specializes in publishing academic books related to contemporary visual culture and social history. SCP thus extends the work and network of the founding association, the art and curatorial collective Chamber of Public Secrets.
http://www.chamberarchive.org/blog/from-a-common-word/
Books by Secret Chamber Press :
From a Common Word to Committed Partnership
Danish-Arab Interfaith Dialogue
Edited by Mads Christoffersen, Stine Høxbroe & Niels Valdemar Vinding
Published by Secret Chamber Press, SCP, Copenhagen, 2018.
https://www.amazon.com/Common-Word-Committed-Partnership-Danish-Arab-ebook/dp/B07GPQW5WJ
Journalism in Times of War
Edited by Awad Joumaa and Khaled Ramadan
Research, Stine Hoxbroe, Dorian Batycka and Elyas Rama
Contributors among other: Hamid Dabashi, Aidan White, Peter Greste, Zeina Khodr and Noam Chomsky.
Published by Al Jazeera Media Institute January 2018
https://issuu.com/doculogia/docs/journalism_in_time_of_war
https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2018/journalism-in-times-of-war/index.html
Books published by CPS members:
Peripheral Insider: Perspectives on Contemporary Internationalism in Visual Culture
By Khaled Ramadan
Peripheral Insider examines the conditions of expatriate artists from various angles: the historical and colonial roots of the issue, positions among theorists dealing with expatriate artists in the west, the role of established art institutions, and examples of recent developments in the field.
Publisher: Museum Tusculanum Press; UK ed. edition.
Aesthetic Journalism: How to Inform Without Informing
By Alfredo Cramerotti
Addressing a growing area of focus in contemporary art, Aesthetic Journalism investigates why contemporary art exhibitions often consist of interviews, documentaries, and reportage.
Publisher: Intellect Ltd.
List of CPS contributors and participating partners between 2004-18
Al Masson, Marina Grzinic, Alfredo Cramerotti, Amel Ibrahimovic, Anders Michelsen, Anna Hallin, Anna Zadros Hansen, Armen Matinjan, Asmund Havsteen-Mikkelsen, Bettina Furstenberg, Bulent Diken, Carsten Bagge Laustsen, Christel Lundgren, Cristine Candolin, Colonel, Danua Haremska, Dieter Buchhart, Dror Feiler, Ellen Nyman, Emil Madsen Brandt, Eric J. Fajardo, Faisal Samra, Finn Thybo Andersen, Frans Jacobi, Gavin Jantjes, Gunilla Skold Feiler, Hilda Hiary, Ian Charlesworth
Iben Bentzen, Awad Joumaa, Inuk Silis Hoegh, Jane Jin Kaisen, Jes Brinch, Jessica Winegar
Jouko Lehtola, Karima Al Shoumali, Katja Loegstrup Hansen, Khaled Ramadan, Kirsten Dufour
Lars Erslev Andersen, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, Malene Natacha Ratcliffe, Marco Evaristti, Marita Muukkonen, Masar Sohail Al Kenani, Max T. Ryynanen, Melek Mazici, Miguel Vega Olivares, Mikala von Freiesleben, Nana Debois Buhl, Nanna Bjerre-Jepsen, Nanna Guldhammer Wraae, Naseem Khan
Nikolaj Kilsmark, Wooloo, Niran Baibulat, Nynne Haugaard, Osk Vilhjalmsdottir, Peter Dacke, Ria Lavrijsen, Rusudan Melikba, Sameena Basharat, Samia Jamouchi, Sanne Kofod, Sarat Maharaj, Sebastian Dufour Pedersen, Shujaat Ali, Simone Aaberg Kaern, Staffan Schmidt, Stine Hoeholt
Stine Hoxbroe, Susan M. Guerra, Tabish Khair, Tallat Shakoor, Tanja Ostojic, Tomasz B. Ozdowski
Torbjorn Rodland, Yudhishthir Raj Isar, larissa Sansour, Hanna Ljungh, Hyewon Lee, Abir Boukhari Khalid Albaih, Steven Lam, Dorian Batycka, Cathryn Drake, Ferhat özgür, Frank Brümmel, Medrar for Contemporary Art, Frans Stuber, Billedkunstnernes Forbund, Ehab Galal, Gunhild Borggreen,
Deniz Guvensoy, June Dahy, Lina Khatib, Sawsan Kassis, Nicolas Khoury, Lana Cmajcanin, Anka Leśniak, Walter Seidl, Antje Weitzel, Erol Mintaş, Ryynänen Max, Suyeon Yun, Yücel Kobal, Özgür Yaren, Raed Yassin, Young-suk No, Ursula Biemann, Zuleyha Ali, Umaima Rasheed, Ximena Narea, Nisrine Boukhari, Bäckman Anneli, NTU CCA Singapore, Mohamed Allam, Staffan Schmidt, Tijana Miskovic, Hady Zaccak, Mounir El-fishawi, HedwigFijen, Mounira Al Sulh, Tanja Ostojic, Tanja Nellemann, Anahi Alviso-Marino, Anka Leśniak, Evan Magits, Jackie Salloum, Merete Jankowski, Jayce Salloum, Joachim Hamou, Joan Eroncel, Esraf Armegan, Esra Ersen, Ahmet Ogut Sanne Kofod Olsen, Amir Zainorin, Mohamad El Omari, Omar Amiralay, Aida Eltorie, Khaled Hafez, Hisham Bizri, Maria H. Guggenheim, Dermis Leon, Nat Muller, Ebru Nalan Sülün, Susanne Danig, Sofia Sundberg, Suzanne Russell, Rami kodeih, Mahmoud Hojeij, June Dahy, Rune Gade, Alex Castro, Lise Nelleman, Karin Sander, Katerina Gregos, Kate Deimling, Miriam Katz, Dorothee Albrecht, Dorothee Bienert, Samira Jamouchi, Samir Kadmi, Else Marie Bukdahl, Jonatan Habib Engqvist, John Kennedy, Nønne Mai Svalholm, Gulsen Bal, Gulsun Karamustafa, Nada Prlja Nanna Guldhammer Wraae, Birgitte Kirkhoff,Ali Zaraket, Charlotte Haslund-Christensen, Gilane Tawadros. Pitkänen-Walter Tarja, Taru Elfving, Kati Kivinen, Achilleas Kentonis, Irmili Kokko, Charles Esche, Camila Rhodi, Camilla Boemio, Stefano Cagol, Rian Lozano, Kao Imran, Henry Meyric Hughes.
Cooperating partners in 5 Million Peace March project
ATLANTICA Revista de Arte y Pensamiento
BergstublPROJEKT, Berlin
Carsten Niebuhr Institute, Copenhagen University
Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Bergen
Chamber for Middle Eastern Visual Studies, CMEVS
Charlottenborg Exhibition Building
Christian Dam Gallery
Copenhagen County
Culturebase.net
Danish Center for Culture and Development, DCCD
Danish Film Institute
Du Store Varden, Oslo
Espace SD, Beirut
Fast Video Association
Free University
Institute for Modern Culture, Copenhagen University
Kirkhoff gallery
Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts, Ashkal Alwan
Lebanese Embassy, Stockholm
Lothringer Dreizehn, Munich
Malmo Art School
Malmo Konsthall
Minority Report, Aarhus
Museum of Contemporary Art, Roskilde
Museum Tusculanum, Copenhagen University Press
Nikolaj Exhibition Space
Nordic House, Reykjavik
Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art, NIFCA, Helsinki
Pio Diaz Gallery
Pixel, Digital Art Gallery
RACA art space
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Sparwasser, Berlin
tv-tv
Vejle Museum of Art
YNKB

Books