Last week I spent sometime
in Venice checking out the Biennale, this year titled ILLUMInations. The Biennale is held at
two main venues – the Arsenal and the Giardini, with a series of off site
exhibitions at various locations throughout the islands. I saw just
under half the Biennale – you would have to be a real die-hard to go to
everything, and need a minimum of 5 days of art consuming from 10am to
6pm to see it all. As well as an unlimited budget – Venice is the most expensive city in
Italy. But I recommend going at least once in your life, and I’d like to think
that I would go back again for the next one, more prepared for what to expect
and the time it takes, and with a better pair of walking shoes.
Art aside the city itself is
amazing – as people say, it is like stepping into a dream, one in which it is
very easy to get lost - literally. With over 400 canals, 150 bridges, and 117
islands (thanks Lonely Planet) and often unmarked streets, it’s impossible not
to get disorientated…..so finding the off site exhibitions was fun (read time
consuming), but a good way to become immersed in the streets of Venice. The population
of Venice is only 269, 000 but it gets 20 million tourists a year! So whilst
the city retains its gothic authenticity and other worldly labyrinth of canals,
by day, the streets are a full of tourists (including me), and it can get a
little frustrating getting around. However at night the streets are almost
completely deserted, with small pockets of activity tucked away and roaming
around the eerily quiet streets was by far what I enjoyed the most, to really
see the beauty of the architecture and a built environment like I have never
experienced without having to look through crowds of people.
So below are a bunch of photos from the Biennale. Like most art experiences of this size there was some arresting work and some not so interesting, but overall it's an impressive and exciting international art experience. Highlights for me of the offsite exhibitions were Days of Yi by Yi Zhou and Scottish artist Karla Black's exhibition curated by The Fruitmarket Gallery; Arsenal and Giardini highlights include Cindy Sherman, Pipilotti Rist, Urs Fischer, Norma Jean, Haroon Mirza, Nicholas Hlobo and Nathaniel Mellors... to name just a few.
The view from our room!
When I think of Venice, the first thing I think of is - MARATHON!
In the Spanish Pavillion, there were signs saying "Do not step onto the art work!"... but feel free to set up a desk with a laptop workstation...... on the art work.
Above: Entrance to the Giardini
Above: Cindy Sherman
Above: Norma Jean - plastacine violence! This installation made me feel so uncomfortable
Went to the
opening the other night of a new art project – KUNST (SHOT) http://kunst-shot.tumblr.com/
organized by curator Stefania Angelini www.bpigs.com/projects/have-you-metstefania-angelini
and Clemence De La Tour Du Pin (great name huh!). The event was the first of a
monthly series of one night only art events showing the work of emerging international
artists. The inaugural exhibition consisted of artists Benjamin
Laurent Aman, Buno Ollee, Filippos Kavakas, Angela Liosi, Stefan Riebel, Hugo
Des Gayets, Bill Patrick and Clemence De La Tour Du Pin and included sculpture,
installation, print, video and sound performance. The venue, S.K. Robinson is
usually a club, but the floor to ceiling concrete and lighting rig lends itself
perfectly to an exhibition space, and the show was well executed with the
selection of work befitting the industrially chic interior. I particularly
enjoyed the neo-mystic sculptures by Filippos Kavakas. It was a pretty sexy
show and a fun night. Looking forward to the next one......
