Greek artist and architect Andreas Angelidakis has unveiled a radical, Ru Paul-influenced art installation at the Venice Biennale, transforming the Greek pavilion into an immersive 'Escape Room'. The installation, which features a light-up dancefloor, pumping music, and wilted classical columns, serves as a multifaceted critique of fascism, national identity, and contemporary global challenges.
Angelidakis, who openly discusses his use of cannabis for anxiety, stated his desire to see the world in an 'altered state'. This perspective is evident throughout the installation, which opened at 4:20 pm, a subtle nod to cannabis culture. The classical columns within the pavilion carry multiple symbolic meanings, referencing Picasso's 'Guernica', the ongoing migration crisis – which Angelidakis describes as a contemporary 'Guernica' – and even the artist's own sexuality, likening them to traditional pouffes.
The pavilion, originally designed by M Papandreou and inaugurated in 1934, the same year Hitler met Mussolini in Venice, provides a loaded historical backdrop for Angelidakis's work. Its Byzantine-style facade reflects the architectural preferences of the then Greek government, a period when Greece and Austria were considering alignment with the Axis powers. Angelidakis aims to give the building a voice, stating, "If it could talk, this is what it would say," while also confessing his broader opposition to the concept of national pavilions, which informed his decision to create an 'escape room'.
The installation is rich with cultural and political references, spanning from ancient history to modern TikTok trends. An LED screen broadcasts hall-of-mirrors-style images, evoking Plato's cave allegory, while a souvenir shop offers items commemorating LGBTQ+ activist Zak Kostopoulos, who was tragically killed in Athens in 2018. Riot shields guard two neon eggs, symbolising the "fascism that hatched in 1934," and inflatables bearing deconstructed versions of the 'Maga' slogan, such as 'Make Erika Eat Again' – a reference to Charlie Kirk's widow Erika – adorn the walls.
Under the guidance of curator George Bekirakis, a section of the pavilion is also dedicated to Vaso Katraki, the only Greek artist to receive an award for visual art at Venice in 1966 for her etchings, who was subsequently imprisoned for her communist beliefs. Angelidakis's intricate web of references ultimately seeks to illuminate the current global predicament, particularly the rise of the far right and its attempts to seize control.