The International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia is renowned as one of the most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions globally, and stands as the ultimate celebration of artistic expression, uniting talent from across the globe. Main partner Swatch is proud to announce that six incredibly talented former artists-in-residence from the Swatch Art Peace Hotel will be presenting their work at the upcoming 60th edition of this highly anticipated event, whose theme “Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere” has been a strong element of inspiration.

Prepare to be amazed by the creativity of these talented individuals during the Swatch Faces 2024 exhibition at the Arsenale.

This specially curated space will showcase a unique blend of contemporary artworks that encourage us to explore new territories and new languages. These are the former artists-in-residence set to exhibit their extraordinary creations:

- Maya Gelfman, The Shanghai Series: Born in Israel, Maya lives and works as a nomad since 2017. She is a multidisciplinary artist, that seamlessly blends painting, installation, and street art into her creative practice. She was in residence at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in 2023 and she will present a selection of four paintings from her The Shanghai Series. Amidst the comings and goings of life # 1, Amidst the comings and goings of life #2, Inhabiting the currents of life #1 and A new dream begins to rise #2, are a riot of colors and shapes that capture the vibrant energy and expression of life in the bustling city of Shanghai.

- Juan Pablo Chipe, La Escultura Project: Juan Pablo, a Swatch Art Peace Hotel artist-in-residence from 2023, is a talented visual artist hailing from Mexico. He immerses himself in the world of video arts and 2D animations, which he skillfully transforms into captivating short films, illustration, and design. He will be presenting the La Escultura Project, a sculpted fusion of Mexican and US culture that took 9 years to perfect, and a series of eight collages on the same theme made of recycled material, which promise to be a visual and positively provocative feast for the senses.

- Leo Chiachio & Daniel Giannone, Comechifonnes #1 and Comechifonnes #4: Leo and Daniel, a dynamic art collective known as Chiachio & Giannone, specialize in applied arts, especially embroidery and textile mosaics, and are often engaged in social practices. During the exhibition, the former Swatch Art Peace Hotel artists-in-residence will present Comechifonnes #1 and Comechifonnes #4. Their uniquely mesmerizing installation that mixes fabrics, embroidery, patchwork, and quilts invites the audience to engage in a dialogue with both the artwork and the artists depicted within it.

- Luo Bi, Flower of Abundance: Luo Bi, a creative force from China, is a digital artist who weaves together computer-generated animations with observations of nature. Luo Bi who spent time as a Swatch Art Peace Hotel artist-in-residence in 2023, will be presenting Flower of Abundance, a virtual world surrounded by 3D elements where mother nature is brought to life through plant-themed creations, challenging the viewer to see the world in a whole new light.

- Jiannan Wu, Feb. News, Destiny is all, Cheers: Jiannan Wu is a visual artist born in China and currently resides in the vibrant artistic hub of New York, USA. Jiannan Wu, who took up an artist residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in 2023, will be presenting a total of three artworks: Feb. News, a piece that provocatively questions the authenticity and bias present in today's relentless news cycle, and two mixed-media pieces consisting of acrylic on resin, wood, and metal titled Destiny is all, where characters taken from film and tv shows go on the merry-go-round cycle of life and Cheers, a scene from a goliardic dinner party taking place in a somehow traditional household.

A passionate supporter of contemporary art and artists since its founding, Swatch, the main partner of the Biennale Arte 2024, has contributed to previous exhibitions with innovative and creative initiatives featuring emerging and celebrated artists including Ian Davenport, Joe Tilson, and Joana Vasconcelos.

From the surreal to the abstract, the works of these six uniquely distinct artists promise, like the artists that came before them, to leave you captivated, inspired.

Swatch is also releasing a special watch to celebrate 60th International Art Exhibition, called BIENNALE ARTE 2024. Designed in collaboration with the Paris-born and Palermo-based Claire Fontaine collective, BIENNALE ARTE 2024sports the words “FOREIGNERS EVERYWHERE” – the Biennale Arte 2024 theme – on the dial. It is a pure, essential, direct design with an unexpected touch, in black biosourced material with white glow-in-the-dark details. BIENNALE ARTE 2024 will be worn by volunteers at the event, sold in the Biennale stores and in selected Swatch stores in Venice.

The Biennale Arte 2024, titled "Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere" will take place from April 20 to November 24, 2024.

About Swatch

Positive provocation and joie de vivre made in Switzerland: since its founding in 1983, Swatch has shaken up the watch industry. Thanks to its striking designs which always reflect the zeitgeist, Swatch is one of the leading watch manufacturers and the most sought-after brands in the world – and has always stayed true to itself. The company surprises again and again, whether it be with regularly released new models or special collections. The revolutionary way in which Swatch thinks and acts has always been evident with its early involvement in action sports, such as BMX, skateboarding and surfing. The Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai embodies the brand’s love of art and brings together artists from around the world.

About Swatch Art Peace Hotel

The Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China, opened in 2011 and is an artist residency open to all creative minds. It is a place where artistically diverse artists from all over the world enjoy space and time to work in freedom and develop themselves in a dynamic community of extraordinary, international, creative, and challenging minds. Since its opening, the artist residency has welcomed over 520 artists from 58 countries.