After the satanic heat and Babylonian excess of the last Venice Biennale preview, the survivors of 2003 sounded downright catechistic when reciting their common hopes for this year’s edition: greater thematic coherence, a more restrained roster of artists, shorter entry lines, fewer on-your-feet screening marathons and–admittedly beyond bureaucratic determination–less punishing temperatures in which to tackle a citywide event that has become a test of time management and physical endurance. Meteorological prayers were answered in full, but, as if by the malign volition of a devil who corrupts each wish even as he grants it, the desired clarity and numerical abstemiousness (91 artists in the international group shows compared to 380 in 2003) became the attributes of an exhibition that is all but purged of risk and surprise. Well-groomed, responsible and as eager to please as a new suitor, the 2005 Venice Biennale serves up contemporary art (and some less-than-contemporary art) that is market wise, celebrity conscious and chary of offending. That the exhibition comes wrapped in a self-satisfied mantle of better-late-than-never feminism is cause for some dismay.
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It’s necessary, of course, to distinguish between the presentations in the national pavilions, which are determined by each participating country, and the large international group shows, which are curated by visual-arts directors appointed by the administrative board that oversees the event. Yet throughout all the sections this year, there prevails a reassuring air, attributable in part to the sheer familiarity and even seniority of many of the participants. For example, four of the national pavilions that claim a hefty share of the limelight are showcasing high-profile artists age 60 or older, with Prance, Great Britain, Spain and the U.S. presenting, respectively, works by Annette Messager, Gilbert & George, Antoni Muntadas and Ed Ruscha that are unlikely to arouse any controversy. An almost deferential atmosphere permeates the two international shows as well, thanks to the relatively high number of well-known (and some deceased) artists, and to the inclusion of a fair number of works that have already garnered critical attention.