An informal Firsts Solidarity Network of national pavilions has been established for the 59th International Venice Biennale. An artist-led initiative comprising of artist/s who are a first-time representative from a marginalised or under-represented group in their respective country or a first time country participant at the Venice Biennale, will offer visitors to Venice a route to discover these “firsts” at the global art world event. For artists and curators the network offers practical advice and camaraderie among participating pavilions. The national pavilions includes Albania, Poland, Nepal. Aotearoa New Zealand, Singapore and United Kingdom.

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This online talanoa is part of the Talanoa Forum: Swimming Against the Tide, an artist-led gathering that aggregates artists, curators, scholars, activists, community leaders and policymakers to extend the themes from ‘Paradise Camp’ by Yuki Kihara into a series of critical talanoa/conversations under the entitled ‘Swimming Against the Tide’ lifted from a quote by the late Māori New Zealand filmmaker Merata Mita, whose work explored the political tensions in Aotearoa New Zealand during the 1970s and the 80s which brought issues such as Indigenous sovereignty and gender equality to the fore. Mitaʻs words orient the talanoa to explore how localized strategies including art, activism and policy are being developed to address the global concerns of our times.