Mark Skwarek @ Venice Biennial 2011

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“Parade to Hope”

In the Giardini

"Island of Hope" in Piazza San Marco

A “Parade to Hope” intervention has been set in motion for the city of Venice, Italy. Looming in the Venetians’ minds is the fact that sea levels are rising and the real possibility that the city itself might be sinking. The “Parade to Hope” was called in to spread hope through out the city during the Venice Biennial.

This will happen in conjunction with the formation of the new “Island of Hope” in Piazza San Marco. Originally a fountain was slated to be installed in the Piazza but the increased instability of weather conditions forced the designers to come up with another approach …. an island set on its own mini continental shelf. The designers had unknowingly created their own continent. Due to the timing of the Venice Biennial, and as a gesture of good will, the U.S.-based “Parade to Hope” will attempt the first trans-Atlantic parade crossing in order to deliver the “Island of Hope” to the Biennial’s Giardini to act as a pavilion to represent this new country’s/island’s art.

Website: http://markskwarek.com/

Bio:
Mark Skwarek (US) is a new media artist working to bridge the gap between virtual reality and the real world by using augmented realities and multi-user online environments to bring a virtual context into physical space. He explores this intersection in both his private art practice as well as in academic research projects. Mark primarily works with 3-D graphics and video game technology to create new media works of art. Mark’s current body of work gives context to society’s present condition in the United States by drawing from related social and political issues in real time. These weighted concepts are mixed with public augmented realities to give new meaning to the experience of the physical space.

Mark has recently shown in ISEA 09, CyberArts 09, the Sunshine International Art Museum in Beijing and the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois. Mark is an “Artist in Residence” and adjunct faculty at NYU Polytech University.