Venice Art: Day 4

 Venice Art: Day 4

Another gorgeous sunrise. A great breakfast. No surprises! Skype works perfectly to unfreeze the AMEX card,

o

Wasps caught

Probably the most expensive tennis game in the city

THB's #1 nemesis when it comes to lunch sandwiches

Our first stop of the day is a drop-off by the Hotel Cipriani shuttle at Isola di San Giorgio Maggioire where the dominant church houses an exhibit by Ai Weiwei.

A huge glass structure hanging at the back of the pews

And other pieces spread throughout

And a number of mock-ups done in legos (really?) that the further back you get look like the real paintings. Seems a pretty cheap trick.

There is another exhibition space in the back dedicated to glass. The featured artists is Venini Luce, mostly light fixtures. THB is posting a number of his pieces, one of which was hanging at our Torino hotel (not that THB knew that while he was staying at the Principi de Piemonte)

THB is posting a pic of the restroom from the exhibition space to show the followers that there are a few in Italy that are well maintained, highly functional, and a pleasure for THB to do his best work in

From the isola it is an easy walk to the vaporetto stop and cross the canal to our next exhibition, paintings by Claire Tabourt, an LA artist transplanted from France, just turning 41 on Sunday. Like Marlene Dumas, THB had not heard of her or seen her work (that he can remember) before today, and she, like Dumas, is a delight!

Just down the street next to the canal is the Ivory Coast exhibition, and THB is enamored with the sculpture by Aron Dementz (note how many of the exhibits have "dreams" in the title, following the intentions of the Biennale curator, Cecilia Alemani. 

Aron Demetz

Brief interlude: boathouse doors are open and THB makes a quick pic

Last stop of the morning (THB, DB and SC have been getting a move on!) is the Bruce Nauman show at the Punta Della Dogana. Of course all of you who were following THB during week 1 remember the Nauman show at the Pirelli Hangar. There is very little overlap between the two shows, and the work here at the Dogana is spread over a much larger time period and includes sound installations and a number of videos. THB likes this one more than the Milan show.

stills from videos

Mimicry is often performed by the few visitors 

Performance art, SC is tiptoeing 

Lunch in the Dogana cafe. SC has a date and so we part. Two small paninis, two lemon teas, one salad, $30. 

THB doubles up, hazelnut and chocolate 

THB cannot get over the size of the crowds in Venice, especially near San Marcos. Who let the genie out of the Covid bottle?

He's back and the pigeons are intimidated though not  totally absent

Dinner beside the pool. DB has a burger and leftover Soave, THB has the smallest appetizer plate ever seen ($25) and the champagne courtesy of the hotel (Ferrari's finest non- vintage), and SC has a club sandwich minus all the goodies. DB and SC get fries with their meals so THB does his best sea gull imitation without breaking any of the glassware.

Almost this identical tart is seen on the breakfast buffet (included). Here it is yours at the bar for around $25...