Travels of THB: Venezia Art Day 2, Biennale Day 1

Venezia Art Day 2, Biennale Day 1 - Giardini

Today is the first of two at the official Biennale sites and, as the last two times, THB and DB and SC start at the Giardini. The weather is perfect for chasing art: clear and cool, even though we are indoors much of the time it is still refreshing to lower our masks and breathe deeply. Most of the attendees are not wearing masks. We are taking no chances.

First, there is a surprise guest at the Hotel Cipriano. The hotel is plagued by brazen pigeons that cannot be deterred from an excellent free meal. Periodically the hotel imports some talented pigeon deterrence.

A falcon is keeping tabs on THB's breakfast and there isn't a pigeon in sight for 10 kilometers

Tennis is bein played, quel surpreso!

Second surprise: we run into one of the terrific co-leaders of our 2017 Biennale trip with BAM, Apsara. She has moved on from BAM to the Nevada Museum of Art since then.

Using our multi-timed tix to the Duca/Doges Palace, when the attendant scanning our tix asks if we are together: yes, we are is the reply, and thus all of us get in even though are timed tix are hours apart.

A view towards the Giardini from upstairs at the Doges Palace

This place is huge, HUGE, and groups are already in place in many of the rooms. We diligently dodge around them and make our way to the two rooms of Kiefers. Here are few pics of the Palace above and right here, the Kiefers are their own section down below. In sum: it was worth the effort, the Kiefer show is spectacular.

A sign that the prisoners in the dungeon knew where to put graffiti

A taste of what is pictured below

From there we meet Valentina and enter the Giardini from a remote, little used entrance to avoid the bulge of attendees starting at the main entrance. Valentina has mapped out a strategy that minimizes our overlapping with the crowds.

Do bambinos ride for free on the vaporetto's?

Note DB has her hat with her, by the end of the day it has gone a'missing

Overall, the curator has selected many women to feature in the main show, and the countries have pretty much followed her lead and thus the pavilions also highlight women (and women of color). From what THB can tell, the artists in the Pavilions are given free reign. Except for Russia: their pavilion is closed and a guard patrols the entire time the Biennale is open (months and months). THB would boycott even if it were open.

Among the three of us, we find the artist Zined Sedara and the French pavilion the most intriguing. She has developed a way to show the time of the Algerian efforts to escape French colonialism by the making of a movie, including putting the visitor into the movie. Very sophisticated, very moving, and straightforward to understand (HAH! this last is possible because we have Valentina to guide us in the proper order and explain what is happening).

Here are some highlights from the show, THB has placed many Biennale pics after the Kiefer show pics below.

Lunch is excellent, if simple: outdoors, pleasant, a welcome respite. SC has salad with tomatoes and burrata, THB and Valentina have pasta with pesto, DB has couscous and veggies, drinks, $70

Pigeons abound, no falcons in sight at the Giardini

It is a no alcohol day for THB, this week he remembers

Not everyone is allowed to reserve her own private restroom stall

We spend several more hours chasing art, before returning to Hotel Cipriano we take a break to enjoy apertivos and debrief with Valentina and agree on plan for tomorrow.

Take the shuttle back and decide to have dinner at the poolside bar. THB has a veggie burger and a limonata, DB and SC have peach salads and drinks. $80

Anselm Kiefer at the Doges Palace

The Giardini and Country Pavilions at the 2022 Venice Biennale

By the time we get back to the hotel DB's hat has gone missing

A still from the movie

The actors getting ready for their scene

Simone Leigh is the artist selected to represent the US. Slavery is her theme. Very powerful work!

Title of the sculpture in the pool

There is a theme of conch shells, as barter, throughout the show

Fashion forward (note person in back left as well)

3 Scandinavian countries share a pavilion and this time it is being done by the Sami people, a tribe that resides in all three and raises reindeer

The Sami artist did 6 panels noting the course taken by the tribe to defend their way of life

#6: the outcome

The German pavilion artist uncovered a few portions of the underwork, implying that a grand pavilion put up by the Nazis did not deserve more

the main site of the Giardini, under the control of the curator

The main contention: women and people of color have been left for too long on the sidelines of the art world...i.e., the elephant in the room

Rosemarie Trockel

Leonora Carrington, a major inspiration for interpreting dreams thru children's books

Cecilia Vicuna, award winner

Gabrielle L'Hironedele

THB thinks the filling is cement

Paula Rego, recently deceased at age 87

Alexandra Pirici: Performance piece that had audience participation (note which 3 audience members closed their eyes and took a shot at becoming modern dancers)