City Rooms, the censored project created by Venezuelan artist Pedro Morales, presented at the Venice Biennial, Italy

The City Rooms project was censored by official observers from the Venezuelan Vice-Ministry of Culture, as stated in the artist¿s CD, after the artist himself was selected in a national contest. However, the authorities of the Biennial contemplated Venezuela in the catalogue and other publications. In addition, they allowed the artist to have a peculiar presentation at the gardens of the Venezuelan pavilion, a building that remained closed due to censorship. City Rooms is the artistic digital work by Venezuelan artist Pedro Morales that allows the viewer to ¿walk¿ through the city, visiting those spaces and fragments that populate it. The work is created with a virtual reality language that includes three-dimensional elements, which helps the artist give his creation a sense of volume. Pedro Morales is one of the pioneers of digital art in Venezuela, using the Internet as a creative base. His work moves between the fields of science and beauty. For ten days, Morales was able to show his work using a DVD in front of the Scarpa building. Censorship of the work caused many to visit the artist¿s websites (www.cityrooms.net and www.pedromorales.com). About his presence in Venice, the artist said: ¿As a surprise for many, my presence in Venice did not become a demonstration against our government, for such a thing has never interested me nor do I have a vocation of a martyr. My interest focused in defending my dignity as an artist and the right to demand respect for the freedom of creation.¿