Only a fraction of what was on show at the Venice Biennale was seen, mostly due to its enormity but partly due to several exhibitions having 'technical difficulties' and being closed - occasionally having gone to great lengths to plot the journey and mapped a trail across bridge and through winding street. Not that any of it was a chore, far from it, most of the off site shows where stumbled upon and this seemed to be the best way to view. A good time was had by all, helped enormously by such beautiful sunshine. The heady mix of the spectacle, the prosecco and the city...
So just to capture some of the photographic and lens based highlights (and this is not to the exclusion of other great events which were just not seen - the ones that were were more by luck than judgement). Some of the exhibits shown used lens based media, including many video art and film, of those seen, the one to see had to be Christian Marclay. For patience, perseverance and meticulousness if nothing else, but also for its brilliance - a 7 hour film piece on time showed a moment to moment, minute to minute, real time piece of fragments of film naming time, from old films and more recent work, all spliced together to create a seemless transition throughout the day of various actors announcing time and images referencing it. Incredible, where do you go from there? 'The Clock' won the festival's Golden Lion Award.
While much of the festival seemed devoted to the spectacle and theatre of the event, other quieter, further afield pieces were of a very different tone. 'Shadow Sites II' shows the abstract of the geography and the changes seen with the moving sun. With shadows comes the form of habitation and human presence. Jananne Al-Ani's work is an off-site event on the water side, 'The Future of a Promise'. Jananne was also on the panel for the Iraqi Pavilion, the first for 35 years, and won the 2011 Abraaj Capital Art Prize.
Other work included photography by Ryan Gander, of photograms and photographs. David Goldblatt's work was of 'ex offenders at the scene of the crime' and something I struggled with, in terms of the text alongside the images, some of which did not sit comfortably, but maybe more was known than written about. Sergey Bratkov's 'Kids Series' in the Ukraine Pavilion at the Giardini gained my attention, not least for it's content, of children dressed beyond their years, having been so attired by their parents.
Dayanita Singh's 'File Room' photographs were also powerful and poignant. Other exhibitions seen (and somewhat meditative) was work which included a film at the Welsh Pavilion by artist Tim Davies. A journey along a Venetian canal, of close up of a hand which languorously dips into the water and hovers above it, includes an interesting play of reflection and movement.
Dayanita Singh's 'File Room' photographs were also powerful and poignant. Other exhibitions seen (and somewhat meditative) was work which included a film at the Welsh Pavilion by artist Tim Davies. A journey along a Venetian canal, of close up of a hand which languorously dips into the water and hovers above it, includes an interesting play of reflection and movement.
Jean-Luc Mylayne 2004-5 work was seen at the Arsenale, the colours reflected the Venetian weather and the subject of birds perched on barren trees held my eye. A self taught photographer, he explores the relationship between nature, our environment and mankind.
More theatrical was Cindy Sherman's giant-like photographic images of self portraits in different spaces, which filled the room (something the Bienalle did well and repeatedly - much of the work was 'installed' in a space and filled or created spaces. Sherman exhibited a series of images of towering figures of this giant woman, looking fairly non plussed by the whole event.
More information can be found in previous posts with links to reviews and news.
More information can be found in previous posts with links to reviews and news.
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