HOMOLOGATION
BIENNALE VENEZIA
At the heart of the Pavilion of the United Republic of Tanzania, "Homologation" manifests as a subtle frequency—an echo traveling from the Serengeti plains to resonate through the Venetian calli. Perfectly aligned with the theme In Minor Keys of the 61st Biennale, the installation employs a reduced scale - a miniature zebra herd - to explore the "minor" not as a dimension, but as an intimate space of resistance and memory.
Crafted with the symbolic simplicity of plastic and resin toys, the work intertwines the wonder of childhood with adult reflection: Africa, the cradle of the world, is the place where the child plays with nature and learns its breath. Visitors are invited to become part of the herd, immersed in the background noise of hooves trampling the ground, which transforms the exhibition room into a living naturalistic documentary. In this space, the public rediscovers their own primal instinct and an organic connection to their land of origin, celebrating the zebras as a wild people who safeguard the memory of life against the anthropomorphization of the earth.
Hidden within this migratory flow is a giraffe, camouflaged by a coat of painted black and white stripes. While the disguise initially critiques the pressure toward homologation and the sacrifice of identity for social consensus, the passing of the Biennale reveals its true nature: the paint fades, allowing the dappled coat to emerge. This is the story of an "extended family" where diversity - physically towering over the group - is not a reason for exclusion, but for acceptance. The masking becomes superfluous in a narrative of emancipation and love.
"Homologation" thus stands as a bridge between two parts of the world, bringing natural migration from Africa to Venice as an act of freedom. The work contrasts the cyclic rhythm of nature with the social tensions of emigration, proposing a vision of a world without borders. In this chorus of minor frequencies, the individualism of modern society dissolves into the community, celebrating the beauty of belonging to a group without ever ceasing to be oneself.
