Venice is absolutely one of my favourite cities in the world, it has never failed to make me inspired, sad, hopeful happy, and basically feel very whole.
Last Biennale, I looked for an apartment to rent to stay- but then last Biennale, it did not flood!
There was a problem on day 1 as I could not get into the apt. . . no phone and the doorbell was broken, THANK GOODness for the window cleaner and the internet cafe down the road!
I was staying at Matteo Caraccia' apt in Venice . . . there were a few of us, thus it resembled summer art camp, thereafter referred to as Camp Caraccia or Casa Caraccia . . .for the 53rd Venice Biennale.
View from CASA CARACCIA
The characters (and honorary ones too) that make up the Camp
Hannah Bhuiya and Matteo Caraccia - Night 1 - Julian's boat
Me and Xerxes Cook
Erica Kurihara, Xerxes and Dani Morla - Night 2 - en route to Bauer after Steve McQueen
Erica Kurihara en route to Mr. Sandwich
en route to Mr Sandwich
Matteo and I
Matteo and I (again)
I have an interest in art and beautiful things, but-for law school I would have gone to art school, the British system has a way of making you specialise very very young, too bad. I have managed in my own way though to come back to it and now, well, art is what i go to see and experience and it makes me happy. The Biennale is my favourite one, by far, the travelling by boat, the backdrop, the ART. . it is truly international and also there is nothing commercial about it, not a thing for sale.
The backdrop - Piazza San Marco and I
My highlights. . . Steve McQueen's film Giardini (no pics, a queue and 30 min film) was sublime made me feel sensations otherwise unknown, Barcelo at the Spanish Pavillion, the blood at the Russian Pavillion, Bruce Nauman at Ca Foscari, and the Museo Fortuny.. . and a few more . . .
Mona Hatoum's Globe
Bruce Nauman's lights
Yoko Ono's Anton's Memory . . . messages in a trunk . . .
Wim Delvoye at the Guggenheim (loved Rauschenberg's Gluts too)
Part of a painting at the Russian Danger Museum
Ollie Clegg at Distortion - group show of young Brits sponsored by Art Council UK - GREAT SHOW . . . he is preparing his frame
. . . did I mention that apart from being a great artist . .. he is also a carpenter and a DJ? Just kidding . . here is the piece - it is haunting and lovely.
This is the poster for the Thai Pavillion . . .more effort could be put in no? Esp when location is in Santa Croce!
I just don't agree on rice and watermelon as well the grammatical error which is evident on the poster - my country has so much more to offer, is so much more sophisticated and developed. . . and here the theme ignores the paradox which is Thai society (and the world) today - paradox and contrast. How do we breed great artists like Rirkrit Tiravanija or Jakkai Sributr or film makers like Wisit or Apichatpong, designers like Koi or Thakoon and then end up with this? Crazy. Basically, I felt embarrassed, it served to accentuate the quality of something like Pinault's space . . .
I loved the Punta della Dogana - Tadao Ando is a genius. . .the space flows . . and the quality of the finishing is faultless. Matteo and I went to the opening after bumping into some friends of his, Dan Macmillan and crew en route home from the Giardini. So glad we went, the party was suffice to say rather glittery, there would be some pics here if I did not look like an art school bum! If I had not spent the day walking and was ramshackled and unrested I might have some pics of myself but that sure was not the case . .. but hey, it's about the art right? It was a decked out opening reception with the light at its best. .. who could ask for more. . Madame Agnes Varda was there with Andre, she had great energy - so happy I was introduced to her - am looking forward to watching her movie Plages d'Agnes, her memoirs made into a movie.
And well, the collection is also SOMETHING else, Monsieur Pinault buys not only everything, but EVERYTHING WELL! VERY WELL . .
My faves:
Sugimoto - Yohji Dress
Matthew Day-Jackson
Sigmar Polke
Stingel and the space . .. with a man in a Kimono in the shot!
David Hammonds
Richard Prince
I was to accompany Alex, my unofficial artfair buddy to dinner at the Missoni's boat but due to conflicting agendas, in this case, transporation issues and obligations to my host and fellow campers - I went to Ukrainian Pavilion party at Popodopoli . . .Of course it was decadent but I must say it was funny to see a girl in skates go round and round in an old palazzo and then a funny band. Thanks to Marco Barilla and Hannah Bhuiya I was greatly entertained all night.
Hannah and I
VERY VERY CAMP TRANNY BAND
We then all went on Jay Jopling's boat to the pretty kicking Distortion party - leave that to the Brits, Ollie Clegg dj'ed - he was good. That was fun but I remembered little and then, ahem, we ended up at a RAVE, by which point I was ready to die. Leave it to Elmgreen and Dragset to host a party on the Lido airport landing strip . . . I might have enjoyed it if we had not be drinking since 5 pm but no, the last place I wanted to be at was far Lido at a Rave, thank goodness for the appearance of Jay's girlfriend Rachel's Norwegian friend, together we managed to round out the troupes to return to the Bauer.
THE ART FAIR/BIENNALE BUDDY
To digress for a second .. .
The thing with these art events is that I usually have an art fair buddy, for the last 3 Biennales and Basels it has been my good friend Alex de Betak, we only managed to catch each other for the Fortuny this time. . .it is rare to have someone you can like the same art with, where you can walk around together and not argue. This time, i rolled with a few different people and eventually, my mentor Arnold, that was fun too as we are both Roosters thus move pretty quickly from one place to the other. I always learn something with Arnold, I suppose he is in the business! Same with Alex. . .
To have an art fair buddy makes your schedules A LOT easier to bear and enables you to fit in as much as possible in the least possible time, often better done when one is not staying far far away OR when one has a boat at one's disposal 24/7.
Well, it is entirely subjective . . .although what is good is REALLY good and there is no arguement about that . . .
I went to Fortuny the next day with Alex . . .
The Fortuny was SUBLIME, the art felt alive and the installation shacks that held Rothkos, Lewitts and Fontanas to an extent made it clear how I want to live one day - in a shack with a Rothko inside :)
The "Shack" installation
Calder agaisnt Fortuny silk tapestry
Miyajima
I had lunch at D'arturo with my mentor, Arnold and wow, it was truly amazing food. With Arnold, I get to see a lot more than I would normally see because he is pretty quick, after a long long lunch we managed to see the Arsenale, Prada Foundation etc . . . at Prada, despite the rain managed to catch up with very much the NY fashion/art contingency - lovely surprise.
Alas,I missed my flight, very stupid, very very stupid, and I am still very very sorry Michelle, they say things happen for a reason and maybe they do - I am not sure what this reason was because it was painful, all my plans were destroyed. It was the rain, the horrid rain - we were stuck basically and ironically, the only time it rained!!! But as one pulls through, I was in Venice for the weekend instead of Singapore. . .so back to Camp Carracia I went. . . The unexpected weekend became something quite special for me even though I could not shift that awful feeling. . .interesting lunch at a collectors, an afternoon in the studio of an artist that I was inspired and motivated by in High School - Fabrizio Plessi, the Dogana once more, a chicetti place in Dorsoduro a la Cecilia and David - very very yummy and fell in love with sweet wine - I dream of it.
The thing with Biennale and art fairs is that you can make new one friends and catch up with old friends and acquantainces, I rolled with Patrick Li one afternoon . . .
That was fun. Patrick is a book and art connoisseur, I learnt from him too. Bummed I did not order the Bucky Fuller book that they were scanning - how am I to find it now? What I am referring to is an interesting initiative by the Swiss Institute, where they scan and bind very rare books and sell them for 10 to 30 euros, they managed to obtain the licenses somehow. . .very clever and totally pragmatic . . we are about access to information after all.
What was fun, at least it was fun for me was the flood . . .never seen Venice during King tides, it was crazy . . .water everywhere!
. .I will spare you the site at night, although must say that it is owned by Captain Magic . . .alas,the best Bauer night ever, talk about comraderie.
Cecilia and Jason
Arnold, Patrick and Hannah
The day off from art which was Sunday was really fantastic . . How couuld i forget the Lido . . . I could almost see Bertie Wooster walk out of the entrance of the Hotel des Bains or myself in a Maugham book.
not very Bertie Wooster, but very ITALIAN
Hotel des Bains
The Trattoria della Madonna was also a great find, thanks again to Cecilia, had lunch there and because it's actually open on a Sunday, unlike other spots, also dinner . . . and thus the whole crew was there and yes, there was an mass exodus of a walk through the flood for a last night at the Buaer.
THE FLOOD - blame it on the moon. . .
Madame Chichi
LAST DAY IN VENICE
Monday was a relaxing day, Dani and I went around Venice.
it was empty now, I was due to leave although I was not sure . . . .My mentor was in Basel and seeing as I was only a train ride away I went along. So off I went, Matteo must have thought I was nuts, I took the overnighter - WEIRD but worth it . . . .and thank goodness the hotel in Basel was just down the road from the station.
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