Gabrielle Goliath Will Bring Elegy to Venice After All

Gabrielle Goliath will present her controversial work Elegy at Chiesa di Sant'Antonin, Castello, in Venice, from May 5 through to July 31 alongside the Biennale.

Elegy is a multi-channel video installation and performance that engages with ritual mourning and collective creative expression. The work addresses urgent social and political themes, including femicide, rape culture, genocide, displacement, and the legacies of colonialism.

The updated version meant for the Biennale included a "Gaza-related section", which has proved controversial and prompted South Africa's culture minister Gayton McKenzie to block the work.

An accompanying publication by Ibraaz, which was co-founded by Kamel Lazaar, includes poetic contributions that address the exhibition's themes. Featured poets include Heba Abunada, Forough Farrokhzad, Danielle Legros Georges, and Maneo Mohale.