Israeli Pavilion
Turkish Pavilion
Four days
at the Venice Biennale and as ever one could be there longer as there is so
much to see. I managed to get to more collateral events this time as well as
the two main sights. Where to start... I am still reeling as I then went onto
Lake Garda for a break and read and read and read – but more of that later. The
international aspect of the experience is so excellent, giving the opportunity to
see work that is not usually accessible, especially from South America, Asia,
Africa and Arabic countries. Politics is
always on the surface obviously, especially as many of the established pavilions
have a national flag outside. The Israeli Pavilion was an extraordinary comment
on land, ownership, sense of self and place. It was also quite exceptional in
its storytelling, how the narrative of the idea was experienced. There was a lot of‘re-organising’ or
re-building pavilions alongside the presentation of process as outcome. Some other highlights were – the book
structures in the Brazilian Pavilion
by Odires Mlászho, the whole feel of the Dutch Pavilion - Mark Manders, Room
with Broken Sentence, the madness of the Spanish Pavillion by Lara Almarcegui and the wisdom of the
Japanese Pavilion - abstract speaking
- sharing uncertainty and collective acts which had wonderful answers for
questions we are going to have to ask in the future. The
Central Pavilion has so much to offer – one example is the beautiful
relationship created between the paintings of Thierry De Cordier and the surface
of the sculptures of Richard Serra
The work
in the Arsenale was focused on the theme of the whole Biennale – The Encyclopedic
Palace, and is a full on mental experience with excellent thoughtful work at
every step and turn. Looking back at my photographs I realise that I have taken
more images of National Pavilions at the end of huge building. The Lebanon
Pavilion is an extraordinary narrative in print and film, the mesmerising films
in the Turkish Pavilion and the Latvian Pavilion is such a magnificent
revelation which you have to wait for.
I am
creating a lecture on the use and experience of textiles at the Biennale for
NUA so there will be more images later but I have to show the work of Danh
Vo.....
