The Teaching Tree. Muhannad Shono La Biennale di Venezia. 59. Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte. National Pavillon of Saudi Arabia

The Teaching Tree is a kinetic sculpture by Muhannad Shono created for the Saudi Arabian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (23 April – 27 November 2022), curated by Reem Fadda. Composed of hundreds of intertwined palm leaves painted black, the work has the appearance of an enormous feathered being, an allusion to the power of nature, an inexhaustible source of mutability and rebirth. The artist’s investigation is rooted precisely in the ancestral force of Nature, in its creative and at the same time destructive potential. The Teaching Tree is a manifestation of the irrepressible creative spirit: the embodiment of a living imagination, which grows despite the teachings that seek to tear it down. Any restrictions on the human mind only create fertile ground for stronger, more resilient forms of expression.

The catalogue documents the installation with evocative photographs and, more generally, provides insight into Shono’s work through critical essays and an interview with the artist. The contributions delve into some characteristic aspects of his work, such as the use of the colour black, the use of line, the reference to historical and mythological figures and the use of technology, as well as the idea of the garden as a creative space.

Muhannad Shono is a visual artist originally from Saudi Arabia. His works are characterised by a multidisciplinary approach and his characteristic of using the power of narrative to question certain personal, historical and collective truths. His family’s long history of migration and repression has defined his relationship with space and the concept of expressive freedom. With his work, he has therefore tried to respond to these rigid conditions by creating new worlds and pushing the potential of the imagination to its limits. Shono has developed his own visual vocabulary and an inimitable, versatile and uninhibited style. His works have been presented all over the world: from intimate drawings to large-scale sculptural works to robotic and technological pieces.
English / Arabic edition. Translation by Moussa Al Houchi.