Timor-Leste Presents Inaugural Pavilion at 2024 Venice Biennale

Timor-Leste’s inaugural pavilion at the upcoming 60th Venice Biennale will present Maria Madeira’s new project Kiss and Don’t Tell (2024), curated by Natalie King. Madeira’s exhibition coincides with the 25th anniversary of Timor-Leste’s independence from Indonesia.

Born in Timor-Leste, Maria Madeira was evacuated by the Portuguese air force during the Indonesian invasion in 1976. After eight years living in a refugee camp outside of Lisbon, her family immigrated to Australia. Around the time of Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002, she returned to participate in rebuilding the newest nation in Asia. One of the nation’s most recognized international artists, Madeira draws inspiration from her own experiences of displacement and diaspora as well as Timorese traditions and narratives.