La Biennale Saturday Highlights

We started out day two at La Biennale di Venezia by heading back to Arsenale to try and catch some of the things we missed on Friday evening.

There was no shortage of intriguing stuff we’d missed the first time through.

 

At first, these magnificently detailed old tree drawings, by Belgian artist Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, look like classic black & white photographs.

The section curated by American photographer Cindy Sherman focused naturally on body image.
This lifelike nude sculpture by Denver artist John DeAndrea is actually a painted bronze.

Sherman also selected a group of early 20th century studio portraits by Belgian photographer Norbert Ghosoland.

After the Cindy Sherman section we encountered a video installation by American Ryan Trecartin. It seems to be investigating effects from today’s outlandish video culture of Vimeo and Reality TV.

We didn’t have enough time to see everything, but we did, of course, make it to the gift shop/café before heading to the next venue.

After a sit and sip, we wandered through the alleyways of Castello to find the much talked about installation by Ai Weiwei, which included 6 metal chambers resting in an old church like so many tombs. Each large box had two small windows for visitors to look through.

It’s what inside that matters, but you’ll have to wait for my detailed report to see the reveal! (or I guess if you’re impatient you could Google it huh?)

The next event we covered was the historic Manet exhibition held at the Doges Palace in St. Mark’s Square.

While not really a part of the Biennale, this unique show brought together many of the artist’s masterpieces and juxtaposed them with works by influential Italian old masters. Most notably, Manet’s Olympia 1863 (which has never before left France) is hung side by side with Titian’s Venus of Urbino from 1538. Seeing this pairing in person is likely a once in a lifetime experience.
Unfortunately the curators chose to ban photography of the exhibition. But a dozing docent gave me the chance to snap this gem.

This important exhibit, which includes works lent by the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Uffizi in Florence among many others, has been extended until September 1st, 2013. Do catch it if you can! If not, see my detailed review coming next week.

We finished the day at the closing party for The Museum of Everything, back near Giardini. Live music and video presentations were accompanied by refreshing drinks and snacks. And a vibrant collection of artists, art appreciators, and party crashers was on hand for The Finissage of Everything!

But tomorrow is another day, and The Guggenheim Venice is calling our name as we sleep…

 

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ALL IMAGES AND TEXT COPYRIGHT 2013 BY LANCE ARAM ROTHSTEIN FOR LABEAURATOIRE.
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