Day 21

Wow...Blogging has really fallen behind. I guess I've just been so busy, but don't worry I haven't forgotten about. Lately in class it's been work days so that's not that exciting, but I deffiantely have a plan for my final book down and am working on the plates for it!

Other than class I've tryign to visit as many biannale art shows as possible. So I will now talk of art shows....

The End - http://cia.is/venice/

This exhibit is by Iceland and was free along the way to school so I decided to drop in to give it a peek. The first room I entered had four screens of the painter and one other guy playing various instruments (depending on the screen) at varying distances from the camera. It also included a space along the canal where there were beer bottles left about a record player, a couch, lots of

canvases in the corner and the artist and his model (occasionally hanging with some other people). Along with other personal effects of the artist. The artist has been painting during his time here random pantings of the model in different places in the space. I liked how you as a view intruded on the artist space and became part of the piece, but the paintings I felt lacked something to be desired. Later I found out that the painter was on the cover of Modern Painter magazine. And I didn't find that out until later, go figure...

Life by Imitation -http://www.nac.gov.sg/

This exhibit was put on by the Nation of Singapore and was right upstairs in the same building as Iceland, and was paled in comparison a bit. Especially since it was easy to compare painting/video art combos. Nonetheless I was intrigued by it since I didn't know it was video art walkign into it. I had seen adds for the paintings and expecting nothing more. They were all based off of old movie posters in Singapore, but there was also a video portion of the poster. They were filmed multiple times and the roles were switched and played either by the same person or at different times different actors reading the same lines. There was a lot of play on race and gender roles which intrigued me.

Giraffe-Bottle-Gun - http://www.nzatvenice.com/

This is one of two exhibits hosted by New Zealand. This exhibit featured larger than life canvases shaped like a giraffe, a bottle, or a gun (depending on what you saw), thus the name. And were painted abstractly using high contrast colors. What I liked most about this exhibit was the pride in culture they had (and their lovely volunteer she was very friendly). They had a room in the back with lots of reading material. Some on the artists, but also on maori art and a video clip (which was given to you on disc) or preformance maori art they did through out Venice. They also gave us a free necklace of a shell!

Save Yourself - http://www.nzatvenice.com/

The Second Exhibit from New Zealand in a seperate building hidden in the back of an apartment complex near Ca'D'Oro contained different small sculptures of people (mostly men) painted in vibrant colors some solid colors some patterns. They reminded me a little of Maori art I had studied in Art of the South Pacific, but I feel if you hadn't studied the culture the beauty fo the pieces was lost. I had seen images of the pieces too and was expecting something larger, but nonetheless the fluidity of the figures and the personality portrayed theough motion was executed very well int he stylized figures. Plus I have to say thanks for the free bag!

Glasstress - http://www.istitutoveneto.it/

This show is a collection of art in the medium of glass made by well established artists. It's right by the academia bridge here in Venice. Sculpture isn't much of my thing and there were things I liked and didn't like, but over all what made this show so great was see all the possibilities glass has to offer. I've never worked with glass, but sometimes I was just like, "I didn't know glass could do that!" If that's not enough to convince you to see it the buildign itself was GORGEOUS! It's held in the Insitute of Science and Letters (well this but in Italia so it sounds much more offical). The institute was started by Naploeon when he occupied Venice, and so it's decorated super fancy for him.

Mapping the Studio - Link

This was another two part gallery, but it was not hosted by a country rather it's a colelction of Contempoary artists. The first one I went to I entered it and encountered an "nazi dancefloor"

Which as strange as that sounds was rather cool. It was a large dance floor you were allowed to walk on with pictures of people who have played nazis in movies. One of my favorite parts was the 101 things to make art which were done in different ways around the gallery. Including: Put

googley eyes on things. And googley eyes were literally put on to the stone statues that were already apart of the space. There was soem strange stuff, but alot of it was realyl cool and I liked this first oen the best of the two. The Second was at Salute and had the statue featured on the posters (a little naked boy holding out a frig by it's legs) on the ledge that sits out

on the canal. Some of the stuff in this one was a little much for me. My favorite pieces were "fucking hell" and "uterus" two seperate artist, and pieces you can only expiereince in person (that and you can't take photos though I tried). One thing I found funny were two particular. I had read about them online (thanks to a certain perverted friend) and these scupltures had sold for about 15 Million dollars a piece. And I walked in and just went "no...way." I couldn't believe there they were in person.

Marialuisa Tadei - www.marialuisatadei.com

Here is an exhibit that was fun because it really utilized the space as a whole. It was in a church and the first one I saw within a church so I was surprised. (you also were'nt allowed to take pictures of the church, but you were allowed to take pictures of the art discuss...) It was presents by the Republic of San Marino. Waterfall was the most iconic piece which was ribbons of platic in bright and metallic colors cascading from the ceiling, but there was also this grave yard piece that you walking into a black box with a grave yard setting while other worldly music played and you approached the other side of the box which had a key-hole looking into a white and sivler feathery world seeming heavenly. You could realyl feel the piece emotionalyl which I like because it wasn't in your face it just touched you in a way.

I also attended this book art show; though I wasn't aprticularlly impressed with a lot of the books. Except for two:

Day 13

Well today was most exciting when we took a trip to Verona. Verona is West of Venice and gorgeous! Saw some trees and flowers and grass again! haha Fun fact this is the town where Romeo and Juliet takes place and Where Dante's Inferno was written! Pictured to the left is a statue of Dante himself from a Palazzo in Verano! Cool yes?

Well the first stop on our tour was the most beautiful gardens! And since we hadn't seen much greenery in a while this was quite exciting. From the top you could see a wonderous view of the city! See the following video. There was even a maze of bushes, and I'm proud to say I made it through!

We then went to lunch and saw much of the Roman architecture since Verona used to be a Roman city. We tried to get into the colleseum, but they were setting up for an opera. Outside of the colleseum was saw a few street preformers and pieces of the set they were moving into the colesseum. We at lunch pretty good - Brek is not as good of a bargain as Ed cares to believe, but I'll eat as along as IU's paying (though since I payed tuition I suppose I really am paying).

We then went to Zino Basicilica which Ed was very excited about and was

saving the best for last as he said. He really wanted to show us the fancied carved doors (to the left. And I ust say that a fine piece of Mideavel work. I loved the look of the warm marbel. the Chrch was beautiful. It was fairly dim lit. you sit in the main section an see Crypt and the Choir at the same time. The crypt being down and the choir up. The pillars and wall were frescoed beautifully. THe unusual part was that some of the fresoces along the wall had graffiti carved into them. And it make me wonder how it's being cared for and how hold the names carved in are. OR even when they actualyl started caring for the church. Here's a video of me panning around the church.

Our day was concluded with a VERY long train ride home. I should have walked into the apartment at 7:30. But rather I walked in at 8:45. ah well...we made it.

We then continued the rest of our evening with some dinner, a deserved shower. Then we got ourselves gussied up and stalked Yoko Ono. lol No actually we had found some invitations to some ritsy concert in the Armenia Center in Venice and since one of the songs being played is dedicated to Yoko Ono we just assuemd she'd be there. So we wandered and found the place. It was by Campo de San Margarette, where we had gotten "lost" for Print making. Turns out this is where the Night life is and even saw the MICA kids there from Scuola. We went to the concert and it was played by this famous Pianist whose especailly known for palying the toy piano. I was expecting some sweet piano and toy piano duet action, but the she played a John Cage song. I had heard of John Cage, but never actually listened to any of his stuff. And in my opinion I wouldn't reccomend it. It includes parts in the music that say "pour glass of water". Frankly I almost fell asleep. Wouldn't recommend it. I try not to write of Modern art at first glance, but this was too far. Nonetheless I feel we snuck into celebrity status and even if you aren't a fan of Yoko Ono wouldn't you try and go to a party she'd be at?

More photos and trust me there are lots!

Day 12

So The internet went out last night otherwise you'd already know that, Shepar Fairey has been spotted in Venice. Last night when my friends Cristina and Alyssa went out on a run they met Shepard Fairey. That's right ladies and gentlemen Shepard F***ing Fairey. 

Today we had class blah blah... THEN! we went for a walk (not to self my short shorts in Venice attract much unwanted attention). Found the second Shepard Fairey mural, and hoped to see the man heimself... to no avail, but we did take some scraps of his work left behind...mwahahaha.  We peaked in at many pre-biannale art parties non- of which we coudl get into, but Cristina and Annie Lucky found invites to some swanky party...luck ducks. I did find a Yoko Ono Poster for her art show. It's a giant picture of her boob and it's deffinately goign to be hanging in out dining room.

PS I found a Pirate bay balloon, so they are totes goign to be here.

Day 10

Well the last todays have been fun filled days of class. We Critiqued our scrolls and it was nice seeing our porfessor Ed excited. I guess he's been afraid we weren't having fun, but now that he's seen how wee feel about our "journeys" in Venice he feels better. Dominicks was funny because up until recently he hasn't enjoyed Venice. He has been really homesick and just isn't fond of Cities, pigeons and especially Gypsies. lol

We are going ot turn our scrolls into Codexes. Mines goign to be a serpintine pages book with a non-adhesive cover. I'm pretty excited about it It's going to communicate the meaning of the imagery very well. Pics later! We also started mono-prints in Intalgio I kinda like it. Though I still need more practice.

I'm realyl starting to warm up to Ed. At first I thought he was kidn of mean but I find he is just a crazy old man with no tact. But he can be really kind as well. He is genuinely interested in his students, and if you talk to him there is kidness hidden beneath those silly New York Jew Yiddish terms and Stuck in the 60s art opinons.