VENICE—The 53rd Venice Biennale, which opens June 7, 2009, will welcome six countries for the first time, Artforum reports. The newcomers are Andorra, Gabon, Montenegro, Pakistan, Monaco, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The 2007 edition’s first-time participants — Iran, Morocco, New Zealand, and San Marino — will all be returning.

The event’s increasing international flavor is further reflected in the 2009 edition’s title, “Making Worlds,” which was announced last week by artistic director Daniel Birnbaum. The title will run in the event's official seven languages as: “Fare Mondi // Making Worlds // Bantin Duniyan // 制造世界 // Weltenmachen // Construire des Mondes // Fazer Mundos.”

Birnbaum also announced the thematic structure of his show. He said the exhibition will weave at least three themes into a comprehensive whole. The first, examining the processes of art production, focuses on the sites of creation and education. The second explores the relationship between artists in different generations. The third is a look at the classical mediums of drawing and painting.