Venice Biennale 2013

"Il Palazzo Enciclopedico" - The Encyclopaedic Palace - is the motto of the 55th Venice Biennale encompassing over 150 artists from 37 different countries. Until the end of November, Venice will once again form the focal point of the contemporary art scene. A novelty can be found in the "Giardini" - the main exhibition location of the Biennale -, where France and Germany have swapped pavilions.

The German pavilion is somewhat of a heavy lump. Many artists have grappled with the monumental architecture and the history of the building that the Nazis once exploited for propaganda purposes. This year, France is a guest in the German pavilion. "La grande nation" has commissioned Anri Sala, a Berlin-based Albanian artist, to curate the house.

French composer Maurice Ravel wrote "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand" in 1930. It was created after the First World War, during which many pianists had lost their right hands. Anri Sala explores the subject with his video installation "Ravel Ravel Unravel."

Over in the French pavilion, Germany is showcasing works by four international artists. None of the artists are German nationals. The internationalization of the art market is the focus for curator Susanne Gaensheimer, who first took over the German pavilion in 2011 when she won a Golden Lion, the festival's top award, with a homage to Christoph Schlingensief.

Internationally acclaimed artist Ai Weiwei was happy to accept the invitation to represent Germany at the Venice Biennale. For Chinese people, the sculptor, protestor and installation artist is the voice of social consciousness. His work has long exposed societal problems in his home country. The Biennale has started without him - the dissident artist was not permitted to leave China.

For the central entrance hall, Ai Weiwei designed a capacious installation made from over 800 stools. The work is symbolic of the relationship between the individual and society, but also for the wild, sprawling nature of Chinese megacities. Ai Weiwei was unable to travel to Venice to oversee the project so trusted, long-term colleagues coordinated the details with the artist via Skype.

"Wood is the closest material to people," Ai Weiwei said. The stools originate from different regions in China and are around 80 years old. Ai Weiwei sourced them from collectors and antique dealers. Each stool has been passed down from generation to generation. Since the Cultural Revolution, stools are no longer unique items made of wood, but have become mass-produced, synthetic objects.

Around 90 percent of the images we know of Africa were made by white people. Santu Mofokeng photographs the continent from an insider's perspective. Born in 1956, the South African grew up in Soweto and experienced the worst chapters of apartheid. Today he is one of the most significant photographers in Africa. His multi-facetted oeuvre takes an out-of-the-ordinary look at South African society.

"In the Sesotho language, shade doesn't mean the absence of light. It means something much deeper. Shade has something to do with aura, dignity and self-confidence," Santu Mofokeng said. Since the end of apartheid, he's been exploring the themes of religion and spirituality in South African society and his photographs are on display in Venice.

Filmmaker Romuald Karmaker, son of a French mother and an Iranian father, has already taken part in the Venice Film Festival. Alongside his feature films, Karmaker produces documentaries and conceptual films. His radical aesthetic is reflected in his credo: "The easy way is always mined."

In "Waiting for Sandy," blustering trees announce the coming of the devastating hurricane which hit the US in 2012. Romuald Karmakar filmed the event from a fixed position through a fly screen, creating a simultaneously abstract and threatening mood. The film is a supplement to the two other works by Karmaker on show in Venice, both dealing with radical ideologies.

"I'll never exhibit in the Indian pavilion," Dayanita Singh said. "I'm pleased that the category of nationality doesn't play a role in the German pavilion." The Indian artist has spent most of her life traveling. She doesn't describe herself as a photographer, but as a "book maker." She has been producing photo books with the German publishing house Steidl in Göttingen for years.

"The power of photography doesn't lie in the single image. Rather, much more in the combination of images," Dayanita Singh believes. And that also applied to what is left out. In Venice, the artist is showing photo projections from her extensive archives. The focal point of the work is Mona, an Indian eunuch from Dehli who Singh has accompanied and photographed for many years.

The 55th Venice Biennale is the strongest example yet of the internationally hybrid nature of the contemporary art market. The pavilion exchange between France and Germany is another example of just how outdated the concept of representating a nation has become. For many artists, the freedom of creative expression is more important than national identity.