Zenomap was the first national presentation of new work from Scotland for the Venice Biennale, which took place in 2003. The project was curated by Kay Pallister and Francis McKee. The organisation has no separate legal status, as it was initiated purely for the realisation of the project.

The brothers Zeno were two Venetian navigators who allegedly sailed west from Scotland with Henry Sinclair and discovered the new world some 90 years before Columbus did. The map they made during their journey charted new territory and in the context of the Venice Biennale 2003 symbolises a new collaboration between Scots and Venetians. The aim of participation in the 2003 Biennale, and in future Biennales, is to heighten the awareness of and to celebrate the breadth and wealth of current contemporary art practice in Scotland.

Zenomap presented newly commissioned work of 27 artists in three different programmes:

An exhibition was held at the Palazzo Giustinian-Lolin, 15 June - 2 November 2003, with work by Claire Barclay (1968, Paisley, lives and works in Houston, Renfrewshire), Jim Lambie (1964, Glasgow, lives and works in Glasgow) and Simon Starling (1967, Epsom, lives and works in Glasgow / Berlin).

June 11-14 2003, a programme of newly commissioned works was screened /performed during the opening week of the Venice Biennale in a more contemporary venue (a school gym), a few minutes' walk away from the exhibition venue.

New work was also commissioned to accompany the entire project in the form of posters, flyers, audio and web based work. They were distributed during the opening week in Venice and are available for viewing / listening via the web-site.

Documentation of all the artists involved as well as the work they produced for Venice can be found on the Zenomap website, http://www.zenomap.org.