Venice: La Biennale di Venezia 2015

Wandering the world’s futures on a paper airplane

Ernesto Ballesteros’ performance at the Arsenale

Meet the bees at the American Pavillion

The focus on mother nature in the American Pavillion is what I would not have exspected.  If the American government does not change its attitude toward climate change the childhood world Joan Jonas created will become a sad testimonial to the generations who follow  a world that used to be(e)…

Japanese Pavillion: Where is my key?

For me each key of Chiharu Shiota’s art work stands for a life. Depending on the signs of wear and tear of the keys you can think of life stories all over the world and how everyone is connected with one another in different ways. It is very impressing how the keys are arranged in a net and around an old Japanese fisher’s boat.

Tetsuya Ishida’s brave new world: DIY human in a box and other dystopian realities

Massinissa Selmani: oberving society with a sharp pencil and good portion of twinkle

Making art by playing with art: The Israelian Pavillion

The best outside wrapping of a Pavillion and also nearly the only one that included curation of the facade. Well, of course it was not meant to be played with, but the loose zip ties of the connected car tires were so inviting. It made so much fun being the Biennale’s cockroach for a few seconds. Then the Pavillion’s guard friendly told us that the art work is not to be touched…Luckily we did not have to delete our pictures.

Herman de Vries: Every story ends with a full stop

Well, it does not look like it, but loads of art work at this year’s Biennale was pretty disturbing and heavy to consume, so it was pretty refreshing to focus on something aesthetically beautiful – dried plants and found objects on the beach arrangend in a frame by Herman de Vries at the Dutch Pavillion. I was lucky to get a spot at the little excusion boat to Lazzaretto Vecchio to see another art work by Herman de Vries who interacted with the uninhabited island. The first isolation hospital in the world was located on this little island  in 1423. It was used to save Venice from the plague. Today the island looks like a forgotten paradise – nature has taken over. In between the old buildings you can hear stories whistleing in the wind. A small initiative of volunteers- the archeoclub d’italia took over to bring the island back to life – they plan a museum about the history of Venice, as well as a university campus for archeologists and a cultural center. The are dependent on private donors.

When strolling around Venice art hotspots all day it happens that you cannot stop  seeing art everywhere…

Veins of Venice

Eating art: postbox and ringing bell of a private household somewhere in town

Art makes tired, thirsty and hungry.  Here are my two favorite spots in town after an intensive day:

Osteria Al Squero (Dorsodura 943-944, Venice)
Sipping Aperol Spritz for 2.50 Euro and eating crustini (small slices of bread with olive paté, tuna, etc.) while sitting on the wall by the water in front of this authentic place – the perfect appetizer before dinner.

Grom (Campo San Barnaba 2761, Venice)
This icecream shop comes into my top 3 list of best ice-creams ever eaten. I judge ice-cream shops by tasting vanilla and pistacho as these are the flavours most difficult to create. The ice is creamy but not heavy. For the fruity ones they also have delicious sorbets.