Edited by Réjean Legault with contributions by Susanna Caccia Gherardini, Karen Colby-Stothart, Josée Drouin-Brisebois, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, Serena Maffioletti, Cammie McAtee, Franco Panzini, and Andrea Pertoldeo.

This richly illustrated book offers a detailed account of the history and evolution of the Canada Pavilion, built in 1958 in the gardens of the Venice Biennale.

Complete with reproductions of archival material including photographs, drawings, and maps, along with a portfolio from contemporary photographers, this commemorative publication includes essays on: the cultural and political context in which the Canada Pavilion committee worked; the concept and construction of the building and the links with architect Enrico Peressutti and the BBPR partnership; the Pavilion’s role in the postwar Italian cultural context and its fortunes from its inauguration in 1958 to the restoration in 2018; the restoration project itself, and finally, the relationship between the Pavilion and the Biennale Gardens.

Following the roles of key players involved in the design and construction of the building, to its multifaceted use over the past sixty years in exhibiting the work of some of Canada’s most talented artists and architects, The Canada Pavilion at the Venice Biennale illuminates the Pavilion’s great importance in the context of modern architecture, art and culture, and international political diplomacy.

Hardcover | 192 pages
24 x 28 cm (9.4 x 11 in.)
Publication Date: 2020

Edited by Reid Shier with contributions by Ma’an Abu Taleb, Erika Balsom, Samir Gandesha, and George E. Lewis.

Stan Douglas, one of the most compelling voices in Canadian contemporary art, has long explored critical sociocultural and political change. His exhibition for the 59th Biennale di Venezia, 2011 ≠ 1848, reflects upon the language of protest, revolution and the uprisings witnessed across the globe in 2011. Douglas’ four large-scale hybrid documentary photographs re-stage protests in Tunis, London, New York and Vancouver, and his two-channel HD video, ISDN, presents Grime and Mahraganat rappers exchanging subversive lyrics between studios in London and Cairo.

This stunning 288-page illustrated catalogue, published in English, French and Arabic, features some 100 full-colour detailed images that meticulously capture behind-the-scenes views of Douglas’ elaborate productions. Essays by leading international cultural thinkers examine the artist’s work in relation to music, political economy, contemporary media theory and the rise of Grime and Mahraganat.

Hardcover | 288 pages (100 illustrations)
24.8 x 27.5 cm (9.8 x 10.8 in.)
English, French and Arabic
Publication Date: 2022

Winning Title (Pictorial), The Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada, 2017 

Kitty Scott

The National Gallery of Canada presents Geoffrey Farmer's installation A Way Out of the Mirror, at the 2017 Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition. Farmer combines theatrical techniques such as staging and improvisation to create rich and layered works that are open to interpretation and propose multiple alternative narratives.

Hardcover | 270 pages
30 x 19.5 cm (11.75 x 7.5 in.)
Bilingual
Publication Date: 2017

Marie Fraser

The National Gallery of Canada presents the dynamic trio BGL, with its ambitions installation Canadassimo, at the 2015 Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition. BGL’s work is witty, soulful and provocative. It explores social issues, consumerism, the relationship between culture and nature, even the absurdities of the art world. The catalogue contains an essay and an interview which offer valuable insights into the collective's practice.

Paperback | 200 pages
25.4 x 33 cm (10 x 13 in.)
Bilingual
Publication Date: 2015

Josée Drouin-Brisebois

As the commissioning institution for the 55th International Art Exhibition, the National Gallery of Canada presents the work of Shary Boyle, a consummate object maker who uses imaginary narratives to explore human psychological and emotional states. The catalogue highlights the artist’s practice, which spans a diversity of media, including fine craft, drawing, sculpture, experimental performance and immersive installations.

Paper | 192 pages
Publication Date: 2013

English, French and Italian

Josée Drouin-Brisebois

The National Gallery of Canada is the commissioning institution for the 54th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale featuring the work of acclaimed artist Steven Shearer. Under its pop-cultural surface, Shearer’s work is surprisingly complex and insightful. By showing us aspects of popular culture from many different points of view, he exposes the false hierarchy of high and low art and prompts us to consider the more interesting differences between the cultural industries and the art world. The generously-illustrated catalogue published to accompany the Venice exhibition highlights Shearer’s paintings, text-based works, sculptures and photographic compilations.

Paper | 257 pages
Publication Date: 2011

English, French and Italian