Fabled Venezia

An American tourist is purported to have asked a Venetian working in one of the many glass trinket shops – ‘what time does the park close?’ – as if the fabled decaying city on water with a few locals as colourful extras would lock its gates at 10pm. Such a comment however is not quite as outlandish as it may seem. The narrow paved streets, some major thoroughfares barely two metres wide are almost constantly packed with tourists walking at a snail’s pace and touristy shops abound. Throw in the excessively picturesque pastel palazzos with ornate facades and interiors hovering on the sea and subtract all motorised land vehicles and you’re in one fairly surreal dreamland. There is however another Venice which I’m starting to uncover and piece together; one that you discover by purposefully navigating away from the ‘Per San Marco’, ‘Per Rialto’ signs.

 

 

 

 

 

Fabled Venezia

 

The two New Zealand venues are located more or less at either end of Strada Nova, a key street not too far from the famous Rialto Bridge. Working between the two very different locations has been an interesting experience particularly with regard to the type of audiences they draw in. Judy’s venue, La Maddelana in addition to being one of the few churches with a round cupola in Venice and with two open doors, is not too far away from the station, so everyday there is a constant stream of people milling in and around. Some have never heard of the Biennale, some come in because it is a church, some because of the Masonic symbolism or New Zealand silver fern trademark on the exterior and then you have the dedicated visitor (in no particular order). As they enter it is a matter of discerning not only which language they speak in order to communicate with them, but which of the aforementioned categories they fall into. In most instances it is also possible to direct them on to Fondazione Claudio Buziol, Francis’ venue.

Rounding the last bridge to La Maddelana

View from Buziol balcony

Italian attendant Anna at the entrance to ‘Save Yourself’

 

To enter Buziol visitors have had to pick out which palazzo (aided by the blue advertising banner on the fence) and be buzzed in at the external gate. They then wind their way through a courtyard and up a couple of flights of stairs before entering an exceptionally opulent palazzo with three rooms that open out onto the Grand Canal. With a small side canal on one side as well as the major Canal thoroughfare the sounds of water taxis, water ambulances, regatta or gondoliers calling out carry up through the windows. The fact that most visitors have come in specifically to view the works makes for easier and more immediately focussed discussion.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of viewing art in locations such as these and many of the other external or collateral venues scattered around the city is the way in which art can coexist in environments other than the crisp white cube. Judy’s work takes on a marble interior some several hundred years old with altars and traditional figurative Biblical paintings and the number of people who genuflect and bless themselves upon entering is quite a startling reaction to witness. Other palazzo’s like that of Francis’ have rich fabric walls, parquet or marble floors and chandeliers in Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ colours and extravagance. Apart from a quick preparatory whip through ‘Making Worlds’ in the Giardini a week or so ago, it has become quite alien to think of art’s current customary home being so purposefully stripped back.

 

Palazzo ceiling

 

The Icelandic venue in the palazzo next door (along with Singapore) is a firm favourite for its effortless cool, inclusivity and great multi-channel dvd/sound work. More on that and on the widely acclaimed Ukrainian venue up next.

 

Somewhere between our apartment and Rialto bridge

View from our apartment on the second floor