Ararat Gallery TAMA’s Visual Arts Coordinator Kate Davis will bring new skills and experiences back to the region after she completes a six-week appointment working at the 58th Venice Biennale in Italy.

The Venice Biennale is a large contemporary art event that has been run every second year since 1895. It is known as one of the world’s most prestigious exhibitions and includes contemporary art practice from across the globe, including Australia.

Ararat Rural City Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison said Ms Davis flew out of Australia last week and would return late July with a wealth of new experiences, contacts and skills.

“Ms Davis has already made a great impression on the Ararat Gallery TAMA in the time she has been here, and we are really excited about what she will bring back to our regional gallery,” Dr Harrison said.

“Working at the Venice Biennale is a fantastic opportunity for her.”

Ms Davis has been appointed as an Exhibition Team Leader for ASSEMBLY, Angelica Mesiti’s exhibition in the Australian Pavilion at the Biennale, a position she had accepted before starting work at Ararat Gallery TAMA in March this year. This engagement is part of the Australia Council for the Arts’ Professional Development Program.  

The Biennale, run by the Biennale Foundation, is the original biennale on which others around the world have been modelled.

The Biennale has an attendance today of more than 500,000 visitors that come for the many different artistic events held as part of the occasion. Biennale exhibitions, installations and performances cover the visual arts, theatre, music, dance and cinema among other artistic pursuits.