"2024 Venice Art Biennial, Personal Structures–Beyond Boundaries"

Venice, Italy - Palazzo Mora - April 20th - November 24th, 2024

7th Edition book by the European Cultural Center, pages 156-157.

— photo credit, Matteo Losurdo

Portland Oregon artist, Karen Silve, will hav e her work presented in “Personal Structures–Beyond Boundaries”, a seven month biennial art exhibition in Venice Italy. Personal Structures organized by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) in Venice, will welcome visitors from the 20th of April until the 24th of November, 2024 in the historical venues of Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora and Marinaressa Gardens. Considering the complex dynamics of our global society, Beyond Boundaries was chosen as the guiding title of the seventh edition of the group show. Exhibitors will Karen Silve Personal Structures—Beyond Boundaries Venice, Italy - Palazzo Mora - April 20th - November 24th, 2024 PRESS RELEASE April 2024 Karen Silve in her studio with “Passage” 180 x 440 cm, acrylic on canvas. photographer: Lloyd Kimeldorf explore their identities looking at their cultural backgrounds as well as through the lens of gender. Central stage will be given to research and education and to the current discourse on climate change and sustainability. Spirituality, rituals and afterlife will be highlighted, and the dialogue on nature and non-human beings will be one of the focuses in the exhibition. Through paintings, sculptures, installations, and performances, exhibiting artists will navigate the intricate current global landscape, offering insights that extend beyond the conventional and open pathways to new conversations. The exhibition will become a testament of the richness that arises when diverse voices converge. Karen Silve explores internal and physical strength, and the trust one must have to overcome instability, fear, and change. In a world beset with war and natural disasters, “Passage” is a painting about courage and hope. It was inspired by a grueling hike Silve took last September into the depths of the Verdon Gorge in southeastern France, near her family home. That 7.5-hour trek demanded total commitment and led the artist on a profound inner journey, which became a metaphor for confronting the anxieties and tragedies of modern life. In the symbolic narrative of the composition’s three panels we glimpse a passageway to a different kind of space, where growth and hope present themselves against all odds. Silve’s paintings are distillations of her emotions, impressions, and experiences in the realms of nature and culture. She layers color and gesture into abstracted narratives— composites of visuals, sensations, and memories, which coalesce in a non-literal pictorial space. Often, the paintings create a bridge between counterpoints, such as ambiguity/clarity, calmness/tension, and exterior/interior—resulting in a deep sense of harmony and resolution. Silve’s work will be on the 1st floor in Palazzo Mora, Strada Nova, 3659 - Venice Italy