Natalie King to Curate First Timor-Leste Pavilion in Venice

It’s the third national pavilion that King has curated at the Venice Biennale since 2017.

The first-ever Timor-Leste Pavilion, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the nation’s independence from Indonesia, will be curated by Australian curator Natalie King.

Timor-Leste is the third national pavilion King has curated. She presented Tracey Moffatt: My Horizon for Australia in 2017 and Yuki Kihara: Paradise Camp for New Zealand in 2022.

For her latest national pavilion commission, King will present Maria Madeira: Kiss and Don’t Tell. Speaking to Ocula, King said, ‘There have been numerous learnings from previous biennales, especially the importance of a harmonious and talented team as well as the primacy of the relationship between artist and curator.’

Madeira’s practice, encompassing painting, textile, sculpture, drawing, and installation, is informed by Timorese traditions and narratives as well as the artist’s experiences of displacement and diaspora.