Gilson to take goldfields to Venice

WADAWURRUNG land will be on a global art stage at the 2024 La Biennale di Venezia, known in English as the Venice Biennale.

Gordon-based artist and Wadawurrung traditional owner Marlene Gilson has been commissioned by Creative Australia to showcase a collection of her works in the Australia Pavilion of the international cultural exhibition.

“My paintings are all showcasing Ballarat, Geelong, and Moorabool,” she said.

“A lot of the stories in them are from around Ballarat, and of my people doing their everyday jobs and living their everyday life. I love the goldfields.

“The theme of the biennale is ‘foreigners everywhere,’ and my work fits in with the exhibition because in my paintings I have the Chinese, the Italians, and everybody on the goldfields.

“It’s very exciting. The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest art events in the world and it’s an honour to represent my country.”

Gilson’s pieces are set to be shown in the pavilion from Saturday 20 April to Sunday 24 November, alongside the works of Maymuru-White, Archie Moore and Ellie Buttrose.

“I’m nervous about going, but Creative Australia have been supportive, and they will look after us,” she said.

Gilson will head over to Italy in April to visit the biennale and see her works on display.

“It’s mind-blowing,” she said. “You sort of think, ‘is this real?’ Until now, I didn’t believe it.

“It’s all new to me. I’ve been on an aeroplane once before, which was to Sydney.”

In 2021, Gilson was in Sydney to see her painting, Ballarat, My Country, projected on the sails of the opera house as part of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ 150th anniversary project, Badu Gili: Wonder Women.

She also had an exhibition in Sydney in March last year.

“The man from the Venice Biennale came over, he saw my work, and they decided that they would take it over there,” she said.