Venice Day 10

 Venice Day 10

Weather: Beautiful clear blue skies, very pleasant in the shade...until THB decided to take a dip in the pool mid-afternoon. An hour later the thunderstorm with copious rain has ended. Instead of swimming, THB decides to start packing (THB and DB fly to Munich tomorrow). 

the falcon returns

Palazzo Grassi 

Some of you have seen Mehretu's big display in lobby of SF MOMA. 

There are also several pieces by David Hammons. There is also a great documentary on Hammons: The Melt Goes on Forever

many of Hammons' piece used scavenged material

Mehretu

Jesse Rankin 

Still from video by Robin Coste Lewis, narrated with the female voice of god

Huma Bhahia

Hammons

Mehretu

Hammons

Hammons' work is full of humor and mind-games: the Pan-African  colors in the theme of the American flag

A number of pieces by Paul Pfeiffer

THB modeling for his tat artist visit: YEP, just like these

 Fresh fish delivery vehicle 

taken when the sun had been shining all morning....now, kids, put on your bathing suits before going outside

The Fortuny has a great exhibit, pics don't capture them very well

hard to describe, even with pics: maybe embroidery, carving, stitching, thread, cardboard, ....?

most reminiscent of a temple at Angkor Wat...high praise!

Jaume Plensa

parts of San Marcos are several inches underwater (before the thunderstorm)

the waiters are wearing waders?!

There are 3 shows sharing a space: photos by Hujar from the mid 70s

Several artists from Zimbabwe

and an installation in the courtyard

Zimbabwe

Gillian Roselli 

Moffat Takadiwa; made of unusual items (toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, etc.)

Roselli

Takadiwa detail: computer keys

toothbrush bristles

toothpaste tubes

Peter Hujar photographs: famous people and dead folks

John Waters

Divine

John Ashbery (THB's fave poet)

Fran Leibowitz

Susan Sontag

Lunch: excellent pizza, octopus with polenta, water, lemon soda (house made), $65 very good, pizza terrific...all the tourists were getting their own pie

great crust

Last show of the Venice portion of the trip: A WINNER!!

recreation of Kentridge's studio

9 30 minute episodes, we come in at the end of Episode 6, 3 large TV screens with chairs before each

Name of the show

DB and THB are transfixed, we watch two full episodes, 7 and 8

Streaming on MUBI (no, THB has never heard of MUBI), HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Kentridge shows you how movie magic/art is made

The wedding site at 3pm, ceremony is at 4:30

Something wicked this way comes: DARK clouds moving over the pool, everything being folded up and people running for the exits....yo, wait, THB just JUST got here

Huge lightning and loud claps of thunder...THB thinks the wedding has been moved indoors

THB and DB and RR and SMC have a going away dinner at the bar: salads for three and THB goes for the club sandwich. Three negronis and a non-alcholic dring, and lots of discussion about what a great week of art it turned out to be...

Off to Munich tomorrow, and the Hotel Cipriani closes for the season, a month earlier than usual and opening a month or two later than usual due to renovations.