Bringing Stories to Life: Guide-ID at PinchukArtCentre's La Biennale di Venezia Exhibition

Sarah Edel Hayes • july 18, 2024

Image copyright © Artist: Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei You Shouldn't Have to See This, 2024. Photo by: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio for PinchukArtCentre/From Ukraine: Dare to Dream/Venice Biennale 2024

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Since 2023, Guide-ID has had the privilege of working with the PinchukArtCentre, a vital museum of cultural significance in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Our collaboration began with the exhibitions "Flying Trajectories" and "Inside Out." Guide-ID worked closely with the PinchukArtCentre team to ensure that the stories behind the art were heard by visitors from all over Ukraine. With one in every five visitors using a Podcatcher, it became clear that our audio guides facilitated a deeper connection between the visitors and the artwork.

Fast forward to the spring of 2024, the PinchukArtCentre has been tirelessly preparing for a new exhibition in Venice as a collateral event for the 60th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, titled "From Ukraine: Dare to Dream," brings together artists from around the world to address existential questions facing our society, from climate change to war, political unrest, and humanitarian crises. Participating artists: Kateryna Aliinyk, Allora & Calzadilla, Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, Fatma Bucak, David Claerbout, Shilpa Gupta, Oleg Holosiy, Nikita Kadan, Zhanna Kadyrova, Nikolay Karabinovych, Dana Kavelina, Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, Lesia Khomenko, Yana Kononova, Kateryna Lysovenko, Otobong Nkanga, Wilfredo Prieto, Daniil Revkovskiy and Andriy Rachinskiy, Anton Saenko, Oleksiy Sai, Fedir Tetianych, Anna Zvyagintseva. Since opening in mid-April, "From Ukraine: Dare to Dream" has captivated more than 30,000 visitors.

The exhibition features a variety of art forms, from paintings to life-sized displays, posing challenging questions that encourage introspection. The PinchukArtCentre team wanted the presentation to be gentle and digestible, aiming for visitors to leave with a deeper sense of connection to humanity despite the prevailing global challenges. Recognizing the power of the Podcatcher the team decided that an audio guide was essential to convey the artists' stories. The goal was an immersive, distraction-free experience, allowing artists to explain their work in their own words.

Image of an art installation from PinchukArtCentre exhibition in Venice

Guide-ID was thrilled to collaborate with the PinchukArtCentre team on this venture. Our mission is to tell untold stories, and this project aligned perfectly with our values. The Podcatcher allows museums to upload any content they want to be heard through the device. For "From Ukraine: Dare to Dream," the PinchukArtCentre team asked the artists to write and narrate their stories, providing visitors with a deeper understanding and the artists' own voices.

Visitors left the exhibition feeling that listening to the artists' stories enriched their experience and allowed for a more immersive engagement with the art. While the audience at La Biennale di Venezia differs from that at the PinchukArtCentre in Ukraine, the feedback was equally positive.

Of course, challenges arose. The exhibition was held in the historic Palazzo Contarini Polignac in Venice, where strict guidelines prevented placing anything on the walls besides the artwork. Typically, a 'beacon lite' device is placed on the wall to trigger the Podcatcher. The PinchukArtCentre team, with Guide-ID's support, found innovative solutions to ensure the Podcatcher worked seamlessly without compromising the historical integrity of the building.

Olha Shyshlova, Head of Programs at the PinchukArtCentre, noted, "Guide-ID’s support has been essential for the success of this exhibition. Their assistance helped us navigate the unique challenges of setting up in a historical building and ensured that we could deliver a seamless audio guide experience to our visitors. Their technical support and proactive approach significantly enhanced our ability to provide an engaging exhibition experience."

Image copyright © Artist: Zhanna Kadyrova Instrument, 2024, Anna Zvyagintseva Misplaced Touches, 2017. Photo by: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio for PinchukArtCentre/From Ukraine: Dare to Dream/Venice Biennale 2024

As our journey with the PinchukArtCentre continues, we are immensely proud of the collaborative efforts that have brought the "From Ukraine: Dare to Dream" exhibition to life at La Biennale di Venezia. This partnership has showcased the transformative power of storytelling through our Podcatcher audio guides, enriching the visitor experience and deepening their connection to the art.

The challenges we faced, particularly those posed by the historical setting of Palazzo Contarini Polignac, were met with innovative solutions and a shared commitment to excellence. Our collaboration with the PinchukArtCentre team exemplifies the core values of Guide-ID – empowering museums to tell compelling stories that resonate deeply with their audiences.

We look forward to future collaborations that continue to push the boundaries of how art and stories are experienced. By providing immersive, distraction-free audio experiences, Guide-ID remains dedicated to enhancing the way people connect with art, history, and culture worldwide.