**Nan Goldin**
*Sirens*, 2019 - 2021. Single-channel video; 16 min. 1 sec. Installation at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Italy, curated by Cecilia Alemani. Courtesy of the artist, Marian Goodman Gallery and the Biennale di Venezia. Copyright: Nan Goldin. Photo credit: Ela Bialkowska

Written by: Federica Barrios Carbonell

Photo Edited by Christiana Nelson

The historic Venice Biennale opened its doors this Saturday, April 23rd, and welcomed crowds of celebrities and art enthusiasts into its grandiose buildings. The spectacular venue embellishes its walls with the works of renowned artists from all over the world. For over 120 years, the prestigious cultural institution has created a space where an international art exhibition features architecture, visual arts, cinema, dance, music, and theater. The long-awaited event runs its 59th exhibition after unfortunately being unable to open its doors since 2020 due to Covid, and it did not disappoint.

This year, beloved and controversial American photographer, Nan Goldin represented by The Marion Goodman Gallery, is one of the featured artists in the respected Biennale. Her extensive work explores topics concerning the body and her experience with socially constructed views of LGBTQ+ issues, intimacy, the HIV crisis, and drug use through an almost sorrowful and extremely personal lens.

The artist presents Sirens (2019-2020), made exclusively of found footage, in a film composed of clips from Goldin’s favorite movies, using familiar scenes to touch upon the subject of addiction and its effects. Goldin calls on the appeal of Greek mythology to create a sense of ecstasy meant to mirror the state of intoxication. The songs of the Sirens cry to the desperate sailors luring them in with their beautiful songs, seducing them into a tragic death at sea. The film prompts a similar hypnotic effect on the viewer, entrancing them into a sensual feeling of delirium.

Nan Goldin is considered to be one of the most influential photographers of her generation, shedding light on widespread issues through individual experience and using her art as a diary. The piece reveals how in over 50 years, the issues touched upon by artists are still heavily prevalent in modern life and the conversation surrounding these issues is less than progressive.

An ode to film, Sirens, set to a score by composer Mica Levi, considers the experience of addiction. The call of the Siren is clearly representational of the dependence that comes with addiction, calling to its sailor, inevitably causing harm.

The astonishing piece is dedicated to the world’s first Black supermodel, Donyale Luna, who sadly overdosed on heroin at the young age of 34. In Luna’s honor, Nan Goldin juxtaposes the euphoric feeling of drugs with the unease and daze of the spectator.

In her search for peace and the exhilarating feeling of substance use, Goldin sought the comfort of drugs as an escape from her past trauma rather than be conquered by dark thoughts. During her schooling in New York, she had also developed an addiction to heroin. The lifestyle that followed the drugs intrigued her and provided her with a distraction from her scarring past. She fought to become clean and eventually created Siren which offers insight into the artist’s vulnerabilities and experiences.

Goldin uses mesmerism as a cinematic tool alluding to the idea that society should be more conscious of the lack of progress. Acting as a wake-up call, the film leaves the viewer in awe and forces them to continue thinking about the work and the topics boarded. While addiction is a proven disease that takes hold of its host, people who are affected are still perceived in undermining regard. By entrancing the viewer, Goldin is successfully placing them in the shoes of those affected by addiction - proving no one is above this, while some are more likely to be exposed to addictive behaviors and substances, all are capable of becoming captivated by a Siren of their own.

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