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We follow Sam Keller to the Arsenale where there are wondrous sights and much to see.
Including this beautiful garden with so many delights including this floating house by Michael Beutler which Poju and I found totally fascinating
We entered at the back of the Arsenale to avoid the crows and there, in the Italian Pavilion, was the work of Roberto Cuoghi ‘Imitazione di Cristo’. Here he explores the figure of Christ and experiments with changing fluid to matter and introduces us all to an unusual process in sculpture. The whole experience, including the smell, was quite unsettling.
It was fun going through what looked like an airlock with Essie and Fatima.
I saw many works - and some were a little too arts and crafts for me - but it was all delightful and a joy to the eye. The curator had included nothing too jarring and the exhibition was a lovely fluid process to explore. It was almost impossible to see everything so I viewed works that caught my eye. I very much enjoyed the video work by an older artist from Turkey called Hale Tenger. The work was called Balloons on the Sea.
Karla Black's challenging work ‘Presumption Prevails' is full of wonderful ingredients including nail varnish and chalk.
My favourite moment was a grouping of works by artists I was very fond off. We were so happy to see that Rina Banerjee had not been forgotten after raising her beautiful daughter and going through breast cancer.
Her work was intense and pleasing as ever.
Ernesto Neto had created his own world and invited indigenous peoples to talk about their homeland and life in his beloved Brazil.
Then a discovery for me - Michele Ciacciofera from Sardinia had created 'Janas Code' based on the myths and traditions around rock that have existed over thousands of years on Sardinia.
From India, to Brazil, to Sardinia and on to New Zealand where Frances Upritchard was back in the Biennale.
Franz Erhard Walther won the Golden Lion for best artist in the curated exhibition. He is obviously one of those wonderful older artist has been marginalised through the decades and has now been rediscovered once again. I can't say I completely understood this 1975 work called 'Eight Stride Pedestals' but I did love the outside interference of a batty bandaged up performance artist with an umbrella.
Before leaving the Arsenale there was time to enjoy a moment watching three generations checking out my favourite work by Candice Breitz who was representing South Africa, it's a tough and imaginative exploration on migration.
