Adrian Ghenie

At this years Venice Biennale, the Romanian Pavilion in the Giardini showcases Darwins Room, an exhibition of paintings by Adrian Ghenie. The title refers not only to a recent series of superb portraits of (and self-portraits as) the great British naturalist, but also to Ghenies exploration of twentieth-century history as an evolutionary laboratory, with the seminal ideologies as species fighting for survivala fascinating interweaving of past and future histories. In just a few years, Ghenie has developed a unique artistic language, combining a spontaneous, sensual, multilayered joie de peindre with a keen reflection on how the contemporary is shaped by memory and desire. This handsome book assembles all paintings presented in Venice and a wealth of essays and interviews that underline Ghenies standing as one of the most significant painters of his generation.