Venice Biennale: A Visual Feast of Old and New
The Venice Biennale is the oldest, and remains the grand dame, of the international expositions for contemporary art. This year it encompasses 89 national pavilions, 37 official collateral shows and other parallel events, on view through November 27. It is spread across the Giardini, the Arsenale, the six administrative units of the city and the nearby islands. Contemporary works play against the legacy of Venetian masters, adding to the visual tapestry of it all.
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At the Prada Foundation, Francesco Vezzoli placed a bust of himself trying to kiss a 17th century bust of Apollo. -
Pino Pasquale's Confluenze, Prada Foundation -
Jeff Koons Tulip Balloons, Prada Foundation -
Contemporary artist Barry X. Ball integrated his classically inspired sculpture into the 18th century collection of the Ca' Rezzonico museum with exquisite execution and placement. -
Contemporary artist Barry X. Ball integrated his classically inspired sculpture into the 18th century collection of the Ca' Rezzonico museum with exquisite execution and placement. -
Germany won the national pavilion prize with this Christoph Schlingensief installation. -
"The Black Arch," a stage-like sculptural work by sisters Shadia and Raja Alem from Saudi Arabia, integrates the artists' memories of blackness from their home in Mecca. -
Blackness in "The Black Arch" referenced memories such as the black silhouettes of Saudi women, the black cloth of the Al Ka’ba and the black stone said to have enhanced their knowledge. -
London-based Urs Fischer created a full-scale wax copy of the 16th century sculptor Giambologna’s “Rape of the Sabine Women.” It has a wick, and when lit, gradually burns down into a puddle of wax. -
A scene from Christian Marclay's top prize-winning film “The Clock” -
Inside François Pinault's Palazzo Grassi -
Fortuny -
Fortuny -
The city allows advertising on the Piazza San Marco now, to the dismay of many, but this Mario Testino-shot fashion ad has some visual appeal. -
Punta Della Dogana, Venice. -
Arsenale Corrderie, Venice. -
Ukrainian Pavilion, housed in the Church of San Stae, Venice. -
Lee Yong-Baek's "Pieta: Self Death" in the Korean Pavilion -
Antonio Canova's tomb, Frari Church -
Pavillion-hopping in grand style.
Prizes are awarded for the best national pavilion and the best individual artist at the Biennale. This year Germany won the national prize for the haunting installation by Christoph Schlingensief, who passed away in August. The Golden Lion for best artist went to a Swiss-American, Christian Marclay, for his monumental film “The Clock,” composed of thousands of movie clips that feature clocks, watches and the conjuring of time. The piece is literally a 24 hour clock that corresponds exactly to the viewer’s real time.
Among the collateral exhibitions in Venice, one must visit the spectacular Peggy Guggenheim Collection of European and American art from the first half of the 20th century. The current exhibition of the late Ileana Sonnabend’s collection is a splendid view of another astute female dealer’s personal choices, featuring Italian and international artists.
François Pinault, luxury-goods magnate and one of the world’s largest contemporary art collectors, acquired the Palazzo Grassi in 2005. In 2009, he opened a second location, the Punta della Dogana. Works of seminal artists, impeccably installed, fill both locations and offer an excellent perspective of some of the top artists from the last two decades. If you go to Venice, consider staying at the Phillippe Starck-designed Palazzina Grassi next door to Palazzo Grassi.
The Prada Foundation (Fondazione Prada), housed in a restored 18th century palazzo, highlights its collection as well as the architectural plans for the foundation’s new Rem Koolhaas-designed headquarters in Milan. Italian art from 1952-1964 forms the core of the exhibition. Works by Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons and Francesco Vezzoli among others, also glorify the spaces.
Palazzo Fortuny is a former home of the Spanish couturier Mariano Fortuny, famous for his pleated and printed fabrics. Its four floors were transformed into a treasure trove titled “Tra. Edge of Becoming.” Organized by a curatorial team that included Rosa Martinez and Axel Vervoordt, the unique quality of the exhibition was the combination of painting, sculpture, video, photography, design and fashion from different time periods and cultures mixed together. The common denominator was that everything was of the highest quality and offered visual delight.
One cannot depart Venice without a visit to the rich collections of the Accademia, the Frari Church and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Two other favorite churches are Santa Maria della Salute near Puntal della Dogana and Il Redentore on the Guidecca.
The 2011 Venice Biennale runs through November 27.
