A national pavilion “everywhere”

At the 1999 Venice Art Biennale the Golden Lion for the Best National Pavilion was awarded to Italy. The curator Harald Szeemann had initially eliminated the Italian Pavilion and then announced, a few days before the inauguration of the 48th Art Biennale called Dapertutto (Overall) , a virtual version with the works of the five Italian women artists invited to the main exhibition. This episode, still little analyzed in the studies on the history of the Venice Art Biennale, is considered of particular importance for some reasons. First, it marks the only instance in which Italy won the Golden Lion for the Best National Pavilion. Second, it provides an opportunity to address issues such as the representation of women in art history and the art system, as well as the risk of segregating exhibitions. Finally, it allows us to reflect on how the Venice Biennale and the biennial format in general are changing as the millennium comes to a close. This chapter intends to reconstruct the salient stages of this event: the possible reasons that led to this decision; the critical reception; the reactions in the world of art and the press; The different ways in which this victory has been interpreted. Special attention will be paid to the analysis of the works of the artists involved: Monica Bonvicini, Bruna Esposito, Luisa Lambri, Paola Pivi, Grazia Toderi.