3 - 6 November 2017
This years Exhibition includes 120 artists in the main section 'Viva Arte Viva', and 86 National Participants in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the city centre of Venice.
Vive Arte Viva offers a route that unfolds over the course of nine chapters or families of artists, beginning with two introductory realms in the Central Pavilion in the Giardini, followed by seven more realms to be found in the Arsenale and the Giardino delle Vergini. There are 120 invited artists from 51 countries; 103 of these are participating for the first time.
“La Biennale must present itself as a place whose method—and almost raison d’être—is dedicated to an open dialogue between artists, and between artists and the public.”
“This year, direct encounters with the artists have assumed a strategic role, to the point of becoming one of the pillars of La Biennale, whose program is of unprecedented size and commitment. Our curator’s main Exhibition is surrounded by the 86 pavilions of participating countries, each with its own curator, which will once more bring to life the pluralism of voices which is a hallmark of La Biennale di Venezia.” Paolo Baratta
Our adventure started on the morning of Friday the 3rd... we drove to Stansted Airport with Carl and Annette to catch our midday flight. 1 hour and 45mins later we arrive at Treviso. A 1 hour bus trip to piazza Roma and we are ready to board a water taxi to Celestia, the closest stop to our Airbnb rental on the north of the Island. Linda and Fabio, our hosts, walked with us to our wonderful apartment - home for the next 3 nights. The house across two levels is fab, very comfortable and it also boasts a garden! We unpack quick to maximise exploring time. Soon, we are enjoying the narrow back streets and quiet canals. Heading west, we soon find a small bar where snacks and a few drinks are enjoyed. We continue west and soon arrive at Piazza San Marco. The moonlight lifts the damp cobbles, this City is always beautiful. Time to sleep, we have a huge amount of art to enjoy over the next two days!
Installation view - The Arsenale
Neon wonder - Cody Choi for the Korea Pavilion
Horse Problem by Claudia Fontes for the Argentinian Pavilion
Sunday the 5th - Breakfast is very welcome after the late night before - perhaps we over did the limoncello?! Today is all about the Arsenale. This undercover maze of re-loved buildings is wonderful to explore - the rough, industrial feel of the spaces balances perfectly with the art on show. 4 to 5 hours vanish quickly as we experience the massive amount of creativity on show. We round off the afternoon with a quick drink and make our way back to the apartment to cook up another feast.
Faust by Anne Imhof for the German pavilion
Folly by Phyllida Barlow for the British Pavilion
Imitazione di Cristo by Roberto Cuoghi for the Italian Pavilion
Stand quiet and look out over the Mediterranean sea by Erwin Wrum
The most beautiful Book shop in the world - Venice
Lorenzo Quinn - Support
Damian Hirst - Treasures from the wreck of the Unbelievable
The one that got away:
Damian Hirst's colossal exhibition - Treasures from the wreck of the unbelievable - spread across 54,000 sq ft of gallery space at not one but two museums; Palazzo Grassi on the Grand Canal, and the city’s old customs house at the Punta della Dogana. This show is based around the premise that the works on display are ancient artifacts that were “discovered” in 2008 in a shipwreck off the coast of East Africa. According to the exhibition’s introductory film, the ship and its priceless cargo were originally owned by a wealthy collector named Cif Amotan II, who lived around 2000 years ago. While transporting the treasures as an offering to a faraway sun-temple, the ship foundered and sunk, leaving the collection submerged at the bottom of the Indian Ocean for two millennia – before being salvaged at Hirst’s personal expense and brought together for this historic show.
10 out of 10
