The artists selected to present contemporary art from Scotland at this year´s Venice Biennale are Cathy Wilkes, Joanne Tatham and Tom O´Sullivan, and Alex Pollard.

The Venice Biennale is the most prestigious showcase for contemporary visual arts in the world. The 51st Biennale (12 June - 6 November 2005) expects to have around 400,000 visitors visiting exhibitions created by some 60 countries.

The second presentation of art from Scotland at the Venice Biennale is a wonderful opportunity for Scotland to highlight the international quality and reputation of its visual artists. For 2005 the organisation of the presentation is being undertaken by three partners: the Scottish Arts Council, the National Galleries of Scotland and the British Council.

Speaking at the launch event, curators Jason E Bowman and Rachel Bradley said: ´It is a privilege to be invited to curate a show for the Venice Biennale. Our concept for the 2005 presentation is entitled ´Selective Memory´; this will explore how artists work, and in particular the process of researching and creating work, as well as exhibiting the work produced.

´Scotland is home to one of the world´s most stimulating contemporary art scenes; the artists chosen reflect this vitality and so the project is also about the cultural role of artistic practice and its impact on the development of Scotland´s greater cultural fabric.´

Cathy Wilkes is a versatile artist whose work is informed by feminism; she produces sculpture, paints and writes as well as creating detailed installations. Based in Glasgow, she has exhibited in the UK, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.

Joanne Tatham and Tom O´Sullivan work collaboratively; their ´Heroin Kills´ gold necklace was shown at the 2003 Biennale as part of the Zenomap presentation from Scotland. They are Research Fellows at Gray´s School of Art in Aberdeen, and have also exhibited in the UK, Turkey and Switzerland.

Alex Pollard lives and works in Glasgow and was an artist-in-residence at the Glasgow School of Art. He has edited a book of essays, and exhibited across the UK and in Belgium, Germany and the USA.

The venue for Selective Memory is located in a newly renovated space - a "scoletta" (small school) on Campo San Rocco, in the San Polo district amongst several of Venice´s other must-sees. The name scuola (school) is applied in Venice to a number of confraternities in Venice - brotherhoods that served as community and religious associations. The world renowned owner of the building is the neighbouring Scuola Grande di San Rocco which is an illustrious and lavish host to 50 original paintings by the renaissance master, Tintoretto. A few steps further lies the Gothic church of Santa Maria Glorioso dei Frari

Selective Memory will be the first exhibition to be shown in the renovated interior spaces of the scoletta and launches the opening to the public of this new addition to Venice´s cultural venues.

Following the exhibition in Venice, the work will return to be exhibited at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh in December.

The first major presentation of Scottish artists was at the 2nd Venice Biennale in 1897, when works by the Glasgow Boys and other artists were shown. The participation in 2003 and now in 2005 revives and continues this tradition. Speaking on behalf of the organising partnership, Graham Berry, Director of the Scottish Arts Council, said: ´We have world class contemporary artists who are recognised internationally, and Scotland should be proud of that. To exhibit in Venice is a wonderful opportunity for the artists and also for audiences in Scotland when the work returns in December.´

For more information on the exhibition and the selected artists, visit www.scotlandandvenicebiennale.com.

Notes to Editors

1. The Scottish Arts Council champions and sustains the arts for Scotland, investing over ?60 million from the Scottish Executive and National Lottery funding to support and develop artistic excellence and creativity throughout Scotland. Further information is available from our website, www.scottisharts.org.uk.
2. The National Galleries of Scotland comprise the National Gallery of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy building, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh.
3. The British Council is the United Kingdom´s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. It operates independently from the UK Government. In Scotland the British Council offers its partners a gateway to its global networks, and it provides its audiences worldwide with a window on Scotland. For more information please see www.britishcouncil.org/scotland
4. Detailed biographies and images of the curators and artists as well as information sheets on the curatorial concept, the history of Scotland and the Venice Biennale, and the venue for the exhibition are available.