Awards for the 56th Venice Biennale were attributed on 9 May by a jury comprising Naomi Beckwith, Sabine Breitwieser, Mario Codognato, Ranjit Hoskote, and Yongwoo Lee.
Armenia won Golden Lion for best national pavilion for Armenity: Contemporary artists from the Armenian Diaspora, curated by Adelina Cüberyan von Fürstenberg at the Mekhitarist Monastery on the Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni.
The Golden Lion for best artist in Okwui Enwezor’s exhibition All the World’s Future went to Berlin-based American artist Adrian Piper for her interactive piece that asked visitors to sign written contracts with themselves to agree to lifelong commitment to personal responsibility.
The Silver Lion for a promising young artist was awarded to Im Heung-soon for Factory Complex (2014–15) a video that takes up the struggles of women workers across Asia, and a special mention went to Joan Jonas for her installation They Come to Us Without a Word in the US Pavilion. Other special mentions were awarded to Harun Farocki, Massinissa Selmani, and the Abounaddara collective.
The Board of the Biennale also awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to El Anatsui, and a Special Golden Lion for services to the arts to Susanne Ghez.
Read all 39 of our 2015 Venice Biennale questionnaires
11 May 2015
