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The Open Society Institute, the Allianz Kulturstiftung and the European Cultural Foundation are pleased to sponsor the First Roma Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale. With artists representing eight countries, this is the first truly European pavilion in the Biennale's history, located in an exceptional space – Palazzo Pisani Santa Marina, a typical 16th-century Venetian palace in the city’s Canareggio district.
A Roma Pavilion alongside the Biennale's national pavilions is a significant step toward giving contemporary Roma culture the audience it deserves. The Roma Pavilion marks the arrival of contemporary Roma culture on the international stage and sends an important message of inclusion: the Roma have a vital role to play in the cultural and political landscape of Europe.
As the largest minority group in Europe (estimated at between 8 to 12 million), the Roma have faced centuries of exclusion and discrimination. With the enlargement of the European Union, this exclusion has become impossible to ignore. As a result, many governments in Europe have recognised the need to improve socio-economic conditions for the Roma and to fight against discrimination. Roma issues are also being addressed by international and European-level initiatives such as the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 and the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All 2007. Moreover, since the collapse of Communism, a new generation of Roma intellectuals and artists has emerged, along with a new Roma consciousness. As the Roma Pavilion attests, a vibrant Roma culture has endured in the face of depredation.
Although the focus during the Biennale is on the artists and the contribution of Roma culture to European culture, highlighting Roma culture complements the objectives of Roma inclusion and equal rights. Cultural work, in our view, can often reveal social injustice to a broad public far more creatively and effectively than can politics. Cultural work can also provide a positive starting point for the development of effective policies by recognising that Roma people contribute to the tapestry of a united Europe by enriching its fabric.
Aryeh Neier
President, Open Society Institute
