The official Australian representation at the 55th International Art Exhibition comprises an exhibition of new works by Simryn Gill and is curated by Catherine de Zegher. Simryn Gill works in the realm of the ephemeral and the domestic, with its daily habits and repetitions. Through her images and collections of objects, she brings into play her, and our, everyday experiences. Once formed, these works have the unexpected capacity to disturb our ideas of order. Be they books and words, landscapes of sublime power, or discarded objects of uncertain value, the different elements of her work exist in the present. In the words of the artist Simryn Gill, “These are ordinary things, yet they are indeterminate and open in their nature, and can be the hardest of things to describe clearly or grasp simply.”

“Simryn Gill’s terrain,” says Catherine de Zegher, “ is the intertidal zone, the insecure in-between zone— that shifting place on a beach where the ocean comes in, covering over shells and crabs, sandflies and sprouting mangroves, and bringing with it detritus of man-made goods down maritime trade routes, to then retreat again. Her work proposes a space of negotiation between the small and the global, between nature and industry, as it reveals an understanding of the interconnectedness of all in a world in flux.”

“We take great pride in the fact that for more than three decades the Australia Council has managed and lead-funded our national representation at the Venice Biennale,” says Rupert Myer AM, Chair of the Australia Council. “Venice is considered the most important and prestigious event on the international contemporary arts calendar. It is an unmatched opportunity for Australia to present its finest artists to the world and an opportunity for dialogue about creativity and ideas between artists, professionals and audiences. We are thrilled to be presenting Simryn Gill’s work at the 55th International Art Exhibition.”

“Simryn Gill continues a tradition of outstanding Australian representation at the Venice Biennale,” says
Australian Commissioner Simon Mordant AM. “We are truly delighted that Simryn is our representative
for the upcoming biennale. Visitors will be intrigued by the way Simryn has engaged with the Australian
Pavilion. In Here art grows on trees Simryn blends the everyday elements of her practice for a powerful,
almost radical result. Simryn and Catherine have created an exhibition we are excited about and very
proud of.”

Simryn Gill lives and works in Sydney, Australia, and Port Dickson, Malaysia. She has exhibited widely, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Tate Modern, London; and The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC. Her work has been included in numerous group exhibitions. In 2009, she showed in 9th Sharjah Biennial, in 2011 at the 12th Istanbul Biennial, and most recently in 2012 with a commission for Documenta 13 in Kassel, Germany. Gill’s works are held in collections such as the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia; Tate Modern, London; Singapore Art Museum; The Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

A major new publication of Simryn Gill’s work, edited by Catherine de Zegher, will be launched at the vernissage, featuring essays by Carol Armstrong, Lilian Chee, Ross Gibson, Kajri Jain, Brian Massumi, Michael Taussig and Catherine de Zegher.

Simryn Gill is represented by Breenspace, Sydney; Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai; and Tracy Williams Ltd, New York.