Welcome to the Christie’s Daily live blog from the greatest art show on earth — all the top stories, insights and video reports from the vernissage of the 56th Venice Biennale.
FRIDAY, 8 MAY
17.28 And finally... A review of All the World’s Futures
Having set out to address the sum of human development and technology in the age of anxiety, Okwui Enwezor’s vast and ambitious assault on the senses not only succeeds in its aims but offers hope amid the chaos. Read more
14.56 Video: India and Pakistan unite at the Biennale
The nations of Pakistan and India are united for the first time in a shared exhibition at the Biennale, My East is Your West, a Collateral Event staged at the Palazzo Benzon. It’s a compelling show, reflecting on the theme of borders. It includes Rashid Rana’s disconcerting live video link-up, which transports visitors to a market in Lahore for conversation with curious passers-by; and a performative work by Shilpa Gupta, in which a man meditatively inscribes lines onto a long bolt of cloth, the marks eventually totalling the length of the border fence between India and Bangladesh.
11.44 From the Giardini: The United States pavilion
The pioneering video, multimedia and performance artist Joan Jonas introduces her show They come to us without a word, and the ideas behind it
Quick links: 7 short films from the 2015 Biennale / National pavilion guide / 10 shows to see outside the Giardini / Old Masters specialists select 10 Venetian treasures / Biennale star Axel Vervoordt on his new show / An interview with collector Walter Vanhaerents / Tamara Chalabi discusses the Iraq pavilion / art insiders on Okwui Enwezor / Curating the major Jackson Pollock show at the Guggenheim / The go-to guide to Giudecca / The Biennale Little Black Book of the best places to eat, drink and relax, compiled by a panel of Venice experts.
11.31 From the Arsenale: SEA STATE by Charles Lim
A former Olympic sailor, Charles Lim’s powerful and moving SEA STATE project for the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale reflects the conflict between the ocean and the land... Read more
10.53 Video: An interview with Nastio Mosquito
‘I understand if what I do provokes people,’ says Angolan artist Nastio Mosquito, who has three video and performance works on show at Oratorio di San Ludovico, a tiny, beautiful oratory, hidden at the end of a residential side-street in Dorsoduro, Venice. Based in Belgium, Mosquito explains this high-octane video installation provides different perspectives on the ‘validation of our individual dreams’, questions ‘how we can live better’, and explores the ‘matter of identity.’ Nastio Mosquito has three video and performance works on show with Ikon gallery at Oratorio di San Ludovico
9.18 Video: An interview with Isaac Julien
All the World’s Futures, curated by Okwui Enwezor, uses Das Kapital by Karl Marx as its anchor. Every day until 22 November, when the Venice Biennale closes, daily readings from all three volumes will take place at Arena, a new performance space designed by David Adjaye. The readings/performances are directed by the artist/film-maker Isaac Julien, who also has another work, Capital, on show at the Biennale.
May sales season in New York Looking Forward to the Past – A Curated Evening Sale, 11 May Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, 13 May Impressionist and Modern Evening Sale, 14 May Highlights Giacometti’s Pointing Man / Lucian Freud’s Benefits Supervisor Resting / Iconic works by Edgar Degas
THURSDAY, 7 MAY
In the grounds of Venice’s leafy Giardini, something very peculiar is happening: a fleet of fir trees is silently navigating the packed press preview of its own accord, the plants clinging to root balls as though freshly-plucked from the ground. This ‘kinetic forest’ forms part of Revolutions, Céleste Boursier Mougenot’s solo exhibition at the French Pavilion. It’s a calm, white-walled contrast to the very yellow Sarah Lucas exhibition at the neighbouring British Pavilion.
Apparently autonomous, these motorised trees fill the space with a gentle background hum, radiating an odd combination of natural and mechanical life. The theme is one that is reiterated in the pavilion itself, with Mougenot having stripped the building’s skylight of its glass, creating a man-made structure that still lets the outside in.
17.07 Video: Simon Denny on Secret Power — representing New Zealand
The Berlin-based artist discusses the leaks of Edward Snowden, the language, graphics and design of the National Security Agency (NSA), how our material is interpreted online and the role of art within institutions. His exhibition, Secret Power, is on show at the Marciana Library in Venice
16.41 Peter Doig’s debut solo show in Italy
The artist’s solo exhibition at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa sees his subject matter of colonial fallout on island nations remaining firmly in tact... Read more
16.10 What makes the Venice Biennale so different — and so special?
Giovanna Bertazzoni, International Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, Christie’s: ‘Being Italian, the Biennale has been part of my life since I was a child. My father is from Venice, and I was taken to visit the Biennale when I was just 10 or 11 years old. It began to be a pivotal event every two years and, as a student, I started to come independently. The Biennale offers you the chance to see the direction in which the contemporary art world is going. Having known Venice as a child, it’s incredibly exciting to see the city transform into a bustling melting pot of races, languages and artistic approaches from across the whole world.’
16.01 What have you seen, and what have you liked?
David Linley, Honorary Chairman, Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia & India: ‘Upcoming young Chinese artist Jia Aili has transformed the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi with a small exhibition — there are just six pictures, but they are incredibly powerful. At the Palazzo Fortuny, Boris Vervoodt has created magic yet again, with the Anish Kapoor room being particularly interesting. Though it’s somewhat hard to get to, the Armenian exhibition has beautiful elements — as does the Jaume Plensa show at the basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore [see our video further down this page]. I recommend visiting at dusk, when the lights of the church are out except for those trained on Plensa’s wire sculptures. It’s a beautiful space, and the artist has made something that is totally unique.’
16.01 Video: Christie’s specialist Katharine Arnold’s first impressions
Today at the Biennale...
Answers on a postcard, please...
13.08 Video: Sarah Lucas and the British Pavilion
Richard Riley, curator of the British Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, discusses the ‘standout’ talent of Sarah Lucas, and her show, I Scream Daddio, that focuses squarely on the body (both male and female), and serves up a blend of ‘classicism, irreverence and toughness’.
12.45 What are you most excited about seeing at the Biennale?
Beatrice Maccaferri, Co-founder of OnFair Young Collectors, an international network for young art collectors: ‘I am very excited about the Italian pavilion (and I am not saying this only for patriotic reasons). Vincenzo Trione is the youngest curator that Italy has ever had for a Biennale and I am keen to discover his curatorial project, the Italian Code, which aims to disclose the genetic code of Italian art from Transavanguardia and Arte Povera to the last generations of Italian artists. I am also looking forward to discovering the India and Pakistan pavilion that for the first time will bring together two countries that have been in conflict for so long. Having a background in political science, I find the role of the arts in cultural diplomacy to be fascinating.’
11.30 Video: Doug Fishbone’s Leisure Land Golf
The artist introduces his Crazy Golf course with a difference...
10.05 Video: What have you seen, and what have you liked?
Robert Sheffield, Christie’s specialist, on I Scream Daddio, the show by Sarah Lucas for the British Pavilion, and the thrill and excitement of being in Venice, which he describes as ‘Europe's jewel’...
Negotiating the narrow Venetian streets while trying a shortcut back to our hotel at dusk, we stumbled upon a gathering of smart looking revellers. In an odd numbered year in May, such a gathering is the sure sign of an art event. Moving closer, the expected table offering wine and water signalling an opening became visible, so we took a detour and crossed the threshold to take a look at the art on view.
Once inside the diminutive yet elegant Marignana Arte gallery, we spied Maurizio Pellegrin in a distinctively Italian ice blue suit surrounded by friends and fans. As it happened, the show was his. Curated by Filippo Fossati, Flying Trains, Hanging Notes, and Other Thoughts, up through September 19, is a collection of works that offer a penetrating view into both the artist's practice and mindset.
The central piece, a structure of toy train rails built into a floating circuit fixed with engine cars riding into space, was the hook for other constructions such as a hanging of jacquard satin would-be garments and a shrewd composition of wood stretchers. In his show statement, Fossati writes, ‘These works should be seen in that zone between poetic idea and corporeality.’ If Pellegrin's intent was to forge a dream state in the real world, he certainly accomplished that task for us as we walked home in the twilight along a sparkling sea.
9.10 What has been your all-time Venice Biennale highlight?
HRH The Princess Alia Al-Senussi, Art Basel: ‘The camaraderie and pure delight during the first year of the UAE pavilion was unique. Working in the Middle Eastern art world, we were not used to seeing an Arab country making a sustained effort at being present in Venice so this was all rather moving, especially because we sensed it was there to stay. Other moments for me were discovering Danh Vo in the Arsenale and being mesmerised by Christian Marclay’s The Clock.’
Alexis Ashot, Old Masters specialist, Christie’s: ‘No matter how many times I visit, the ultimate work of art remains Titian’s Pietà, in the Galerie del Accademia. A profoundly meditative devotional work and a final self-portrait, it is both a public statement and a private painting of great intimacy and personal meaning. It is probably Titian’s last ever painting. I can't see it without hearing Mozart’ s Requiem (itself inspired by Venice’s greatest composer, Vivaldi), because of all those resemblances.’
WEDNESDAY, 6 MAY
18.38 Time for a cocktail?
That’s all for today. For those in Venice, we suggest you consult our Biennale Little Black Book for the top tips on where to enjoy a well-earned cocktail before dinner. We’ll be back for more tomorrow Read more
17.44 Video: Jaume Plensa on Together at San Giorgio Maggiore
Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, hailed as one of the foremost creators of artworks for public spaces, brings his show Together to the Basilica of San Giorgio, a church he describes as ‘probably the most beautiful in Venice’. These new works reflect Plensa’s interest in the body’s relationship to space, scale, material and place. The artist, who has long been interested in breaking down barriers, sets up a conversation in the space between the two vast sculptures, one situated in the foreground of the altar, and the other in the nave, seeking to connect and communicate on an intuitive level.
17.30 From the Arsenale: The Infinite Nothing by Tsang Kin-Wah
Tsang Kin-Wah’s video installation for the unofficial Hong Kong pavilion mirrors the contents of our over-stretched minds — and, as a result, is a neat metaphor for the visual and intellectual overload of the 2015 Venice Biennale Read more
17.35 What have you seen, and what have you liked?
Isabelle de la Bruyere, Head of Client Advisory and Senior Director, Chairma’s Office, Christie’s: ‘I just landed early this afternoon, but have managed to visit the Punta della Dogana which was wonderful. The Martial Raysse exhibition is a true revelation. I never knew the breadth of the artist’s oeuvre, which spans around 40 years. It’s extraordinary that, in the 1960s, he was already creating works that encompassed so many elements — and a sense of humour. It’s always fabulous, too, to come to the Peggy Guggenheim — there’s an interesting exhibition of Pollock, but I always look forward to revisiting the permanent collection.’
17.13 Video: Camille Norment for the Nordic Pavilion
In a Biennale with an unprecedented number of women artists representing national pavilions with solo shows, Berlin-based Maria Eichhorn goes to the spark of a girl’s complex creative consciousness with the appearance of Militant, 2010, situated in a former store room in the Arsenale’s Giardino Della Vergini as the part of All the World's Futures. A flat screen shows nothing but an attractive post-adolescent female reading a book on a bed. Her voiceover reveals the subject of the text: the essential nature of militancy as impetus of change for a greater good, making the point that the seeds of subversion can take root in even the plushest cradles of comfort.
Portuguese craft queen Joana Vasconelos follows up her floating pavilion for Portugal from the Biennale’s 2013 edition with another glowing interior that allows viewers to feel as if they were navigating a tank of bioluminescent organisms. In Giardino dell’Eden, a reprisal of a 2007 work, typically garish artificial flowers threaded with optical fibre — and motorised to cause an appearance of breezy movement in a black box — create a man-made landscape in direct dichotomy of the asphalt jungle. Vasconcelos goes a step further to meet Biennale exhibition curator Okwui Enwezor’s predilection for performance by collaborating with a sound artist, who appears amid the flowers at scheduled intervals, clad in a black bodysuit also decorated with the glowing threads in an abstracted skeletal design. The composer navigates the viewers in an improvised dance set to an ambient composition manipulated by the iPhone the performer carries. Look for the silver trailer, seemingly set down like an alien space ship, near the snack bar to determine whether or not the artist’s intent to elevate the unnatural in the context of the Giardini’s idyll has been duly satisfied.
14.34 Christie’s London summer highlights arrive at the Aman Canal Grande
A look behind the scenes at last night's hang of a selection of Christie’s London summer highlights at the Aman Canal Grande (Palazzo Papadopoli), including works from the Post-war & Contemporary Evening Sale in June, and Old Master paintings. Read more
12.58 Video: The opening of the Australian pavilion
12.45 Time for lunch?
In that case we recommend you consult our Biennale Little Black Book for the insider tips on where to eat, drink and relax Read more
Upon Wednesday’s opening preview of Okwui Enwezor’s All the World’s Futures at the Arsenale, eager viewers rushed the door. In the first room, neon works by Bruce Nauman pair with Adel Abdessemed’s Nympheas, 2015, several clusters of various knives and blades scattered across the floor like so many deadly bouquets, to impressive impact. As one excited viewer learned, however, the sharp components are precariously balanced on their tips, causing one to fall over. When a guard hustled the viewer out of the way to set the work right, another toppled to the floor. Fortunately a domino effect was avoided, but the organisers might have to rethink safety concerns before the public onslaught.
10.22 In pictures: What they’re wearing
To a man (and woman), our panel of Venice experts have all advised first-time visitors to the Biennale to wear comfortable shoes. There is, after all, a lot of walking involved. Thankfully, comfortable, as these pictures show, doesn’t necessarily mean unstylish.
9.55 Which artists and exhibitions are you most excited about seeing?
Martin Bethenod, CEO Palazzo Grassi: ‘Danh Vo, both for his work with the Danish Pavilion, and for his exhibition Slip of the Tongue, taking place at the Punta della Dogana. Two pavilions whose curators I particularly admire are the French pavilion, curated by Emma Lavigne of the Centre Pompidou Metz, and the German pavilion, curated by Florian Ebner of Essen’s Folkwang Museum.’
Leonie Moschner, Post-War & Contemporary Art specialist, Christie’s: ‘Danh Vo and Slip of The Tongue at Punta della Dogana, curated by Danh and Caroline Bourgeois, is one of the most exciting and intelligent shows I have seen in a while. Henri Rousseau at Doge’s Palace — it’s always lovely to see his works especially in this spectacular setting. Also, the Guggenheim’s ‘Schulhof donation’, and the Iraqi pavilion curated by Philippe van Cauteren.’
8.05 Interview: Artist Chiharu Shiota on the Japan pavilion
Berlin-based artist Chiharu Shiota has stretched dense swathes of red yarn across the exhibition space and hung hundreds of thousands of keys from the ends. The effect is astonishing. There is a kind of mania to Shiota’s intricate, relentless lengths of yarn, but the complex, architectural shapes she produces are lit from within and these soft, glowing areas suggest a warm, dream-like spirituality. Beneath the red arches, celestial yet weighted by the metal keys, sit two distressed boats, their bottoms covered with keys. Hundreds more spill across the floor. These look oddly human, and one is reminded, horribly, of recent tragedies involving the drowning of refugees. Now, every key hanging above our heads looks like an individual. ‘Keys do look like people,’ concedes the artist, ‘with their round heads and long bodies.’
We have spotted her, at the door of the pavilion, a shy, diminuitive figure surrounded by photographers and their imposing cameras. They leave and we are able to chat. ‘Keys are full of meaning,’ she says. ‘You hold a key in the hand and a hand is like a boat holding the key. A key means you have a chance; you have a future. If you lose a key, you lose so much, but if you have one, it opens a whole new world.’
Shiota is known internationally for her large-scale installations stretching yarn into vast spatial structures and suspending objects redolent with memory and transcience — beds, dresses, suitcases, dolls. Keys are also about memories and the boats can symbolise two hands catching them as they rain down. This is a familiar place for Shiota, hovering somewhere between the conscious and the unconscious, but there is a greater sense of the universal in this installation — quite literally, since she spent a year asking people from all over the world to send her their keys. Both wanted — which entailed some sacrifice — and unwanted. ‘I advertised on the Internet, in newspapers, museums helped like the Smithsonian, and even key companies donated their old ones that had been replaced.’
TUESDAY, 5 MAY
19.15 In pictures: Where to go and what to see?
Before we begin in earnest with our coverage of the vernissage, here's a handy guide to the national pavilions, and the 10 shows you should see outside the Giardini. Be sure to check back in tomorrow.
18.31 Which artist are you most excited about this year?
Katerina Gregos, curator of the Belgian pavilion: ‘The artist who excites me most right now is Vincent Meessen, who is representing Belgium. He’s an artist who has had more of an institutional trajectory, as opposed to a gallery or art market trajectory. His work — which takes a wide variety of forms, including short videos, installations, print and music — explores the history and afterlife of colonial modernity; he considers historical and political narratives, many forgotten, that comment on the ongoing relationships between Europe and Africa. Vincent has decided to open up the Belgian pavilion. For the first time we’re inviting artists from Africa as well as other continents to exhibit. Meessen is making a symbolic gesture about sharing… and it’s significant that this is happening in the Belgian pavilion, one of the countries where the notion of ‘national identity’ is least pronounced. In a way, the exhibition is an attempt to challenge the rather antiquated orthodoxy of the Venice Biennale, where the notion of national representation is still very evident.’
17.16 What’s your advice to first time visitors to the Biennale?
David Linley, Honorary Chairman, Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia & India: ‘Don’t rush. During the opening week there is always somewhere else to be — another performance, event, party or dinner — but if you let the city set your pace you will be rewarded. Ensure that you seek out some of the offsite pavilions and exhibitions — you might get lost but that is when you really encounter the charm of Venice. In fact, some of my happiest memories of Venice involve being hopelessly but thrillingly lost in its byways. Happily easy to find, Nico’s Gelateria on the Zattere is the perfect place to take stock and cool down.’
Boris Vervoordt, Director of Art & Antiques at Axel Vervoordt: ‘Don’t plan your trip too much, but let the art in the city surprise you. It’s impossible to see everything and not everything you see will be great, but only that way you’ll discover treasures you never even knew existed.’
15.55 Beyond the Biennale: Venetian treasures
Christie’s most senior Old Masters specialists, Nicholas Hall and Francis Russell, discuss the permanent Venetian artworks that every visitor should see Read more
14.25 10 shows to see outside the Giardini
As the art world flies in for the 2015 Venice Biennale, Anne Hanley selects some of the best exhibitions from a programme that includes Australia’s first ever official contribution and a bridge-building project by artists from India and Pakistan Read more
14.07 In pictures: yacht watch
Yachts begin to moor in Venice for the opening of the vernissage
12.13 Which artists or exhibitions are you most excited about seeing at Venice?
Milovan Farronato, Curator and Director of the Fiorucci Art Trust: ‘I’m excited about the Cyprus pavilion, which will be represented by Christodolous Panayiotou. I know Christodolous very well and we have been and are collaborating in other projects. I am sure he is going to create a subtle bridge between East and West.’
Alice de Roquemaurel, Post-War & Contemporary Art specialist, Christie’s : ‘I am very curious to see the project Rêvolutions by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, accompanied by curator Emma Lavigne. I hear it will transform the French Pavilion into an oneiric and organic island. I love the exhibitions at Palazzo Fortuny; the curation always mixes genres, mediums and centuries in a magic setting, giving you a new view and perspective on the art on display.’
11.01 An interview with Axel Vervoordt
An interview with the celebrated collector, designer, Biennale star and curator of a new exhibition exploring sacred proportions in nature and art Read more
10.09 What has been your all-time Venice Biennale highlight?
Martin Bethenod, CEO Palazzo Grassi: ‘The 2003 Biennale, conceived by Francesco Bonami with Hans Ulrich Obrist, Carlos Basualdo, Catherine David, Hou Hanru, for its extraordinary density. It was this chaotic and seemingly unending show which seemed to announce everything that the art world was to be over the next decade. It was also memorable for the awful heat that enveloped Venice that summer!’
Bianca Chu, Post-War & Contemporary Art specialist, Christie’s: ‘One of my favourite discoveries was during the last Venice Biennale, in 2013, when I was wandering around the Encyclopaedic Palace. The difficult thing with video is often if you are not hooked within the first few moments, your attention moves. Somehow, though, I was drawn into a dark room where I heard seductive electronic music. It was Camille Henrot’s video work Grosse Fatigue. I watched the film twice and it stuck with me throughout the rest of my stay in Venice. Only later did I learn she had won the Silver Lion that year.’
FRIDAY, 1 MAY
17.11 Biennale Little Black Book
Our panel of Venice residents and Biennale cognoscenti serve up their tips on the best place to eat, drink and relax. Read more
15.55 Which artists or exhibitions are you most excited about seeing at Venice?
HRH The Princess Alia Al-Senussi, Art Basel : ‘I’m very much looking forward to Kara Walker’s intervention at La Fenice. I missed Creative Time’s A Subtlety at the Domino Sugar Factory so I hope seeing this will somehow mitigate my guilt. Theaster Gates, Walead Beshty and Taryn Simon engage in their work in a social, political and emotional (and above all intelligent) way that never ceases to move me and I can’t wait to see what they do for this special time in Venice.’
Alexis Ashot, Old Masters specialist, Christie’s : ‘Any time I visit Venice, the first place I go is the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This is the site of one of the greatest art breakthroughs of all time, the perfect counterpoint to all of the first-time exhibitors at the Biennale. The entire building is decorated by the young Tintoretto, who won the commission from guild elders by sneaking in at night and installing finished works; when the judges asked to see his proposal, he pointed up to his handiwork, saying, “I’ve already done the job!” The guild was outraged by his audacity but when he offered to give them the art for free, in exchange for future commissions, they agreed. This long-term contract was his first major success as a young artist, and gave him the security needed to build a major career. And that was all in the 16th century!
‘This year, in particular, I am curious to see the Turkish pavilion — Turkey is a nation which has always had a fascinating relationship with Venice, which we see in the paintings of Titian, Bellini, Carpaccio and others —- and with lots of media attention on how modern Turkey responds to the historic anniversaries being marked in 2015, I’m interested to see what its artists will have to say.’
11.53 What makes the Venice Biennale so different — and so special?
Bianca Chu, Post-War & Contemporary Art specialist, Christie’s: ‘The Venice Biennale is unlike any institutional exhibition, art fair or any type of art-related experience. Just being in such a beautiful and historic city such as Venice, surrounded by the most exciting and experimental art of today, makes it special.’
Leonie Moschner, Post-War & Contemporary Art specialist, Christie’s: ‘Venice is the most spectacular and romantic place and always makes me feel I live in another century.’
11.03 Q&A: Jackson Pollock’s Mural at the Guggenheim
© Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice. Photo David Head
Commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim, Jackson Pollock’s Mural lends a glimpse into the birth of gestural abstraction in a show at the collector’s namesake museum in Venice. Here, David Anfam, the show’s curator and the author of a new book, puts the work in context... Read more
Gregor Muir, Executive Director, ICA: ‘One of my all-time Venice highlights has to be Hans Haacke at the German Pavilion in 1993. He smashed the floor, by way of referencing Germany’s past and that of the Biennale. I will never forget the noise as you walked across huge marble slabs as they rocked up and down. It was incredible.’
Beatrice Maccaferri, Co-founder of OnFair Young Collectors, an international network for young art collectors: Berlinde De Bruyckere’s installation during the last Biennale has been definitely one of my favourites. Her enormous wax sculpture Cripplewood displayed the intimate connection that exists between life and death in a very powerful and effective way.
THURSDAY, 30 APRIL
17.05 What will curator Okwui Enwezor bring to the 2015 Venice Biennale?
Four international art figures discuss what they’re expecting — and hoping — from the curator of All The World’s Futures... Read more
16.15 What makes the Venice Biennale so different — and so special?
Martin Bethenod, CEO Palazzo Grassi: ‘As a visitor to the Venice Biennale, you’re at once completely within the moment — at the heart of the contemporary art world — and completely outside of time, divorced from the real world. It’s a unique experience.’
HRH The Princess Alia Al-Senussi, Art Basel: ‘Of course, the glamour of the canals, the rustic charms and the dilapidated buildings with splendour inside make Venice a special destination. But besides that, the history of what it means to be a small distillation of what the world is about is what really distinguishes Venice. We walk around the Giardini and see these ‘pavilions’ of patriotism presenting art of and from that nation yet are supposed to speak to universal truths and conceptions.’
15.34 The pick of the pavilions
Don’t have time to visit all 90 national shows at this year’s Venice Biennale? Here’s our choice of the must-sees... Read more
14.19 What’s your advice to first time visitors to the Biennale?
Beatrice Maccaferri, Co-founder of OnFair Young Collectors, an international network for young art collectors: ‘Do not try to see everything in one day. Focus on what you like and interests you most. Enjoy spritz and ‘cicchetti’ on a Venetian terrace and remember that you are in Venice, after all. Keep time for Renaissance art as well, and go to visit churches like I Frari to see Titian, or Scuola di San Rocco for Tintoretto.’
Alexis Ashot, Old Masters specialist, Christie’s: ‘Carry water and wear comfortable shoes! One of the most amazing things about Venice is that there is no automobile traffic, which makes it divinely quiet at night — but it also means you walk. A lot!’
Alice de Roquemaurel, Post-War & Contemporary Art specialist, Christie’s: ‘Be prepared to be lost, physically and mentally!’
13.41 Inside the Heartbreak Hotel
Walter Vanhaerents, founder of The Vanhaerents Art Collection, discusses his debut exhibition in Venice, which takes the Elvis Presley track as its inspiration, and moves between themes of tragedy and redemption... Read more
12.37 Which artists or exhibitions are you most excited about seeing at Venice?
Gregor Muir, Executive Director, ICA: ‘I recently spent time with Camille Norment, which left me intrigued to see how she tackles the Nordic Pavilion using sound. Having worked with Pamela Rosenkranz, I look forward to visiting the Swiss Pavilion. Ditto Simon Denny, representing New Zealand, and at the German Pavilion Hito Steyerl, who is chairing a symposium at the ICA immediately after the Venice openings. Also interested to see the Arena, as designed by David Adjaye in the Central Pavilion, which is where there’ll be a reading of Das Kapital by Karl Marx. And then, of course, there’s the Vatican curated exhibition.’
David Linley, Honorary Chairman, Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia & India: ‘The British Pavilion is always a must see — Jeremy Deller’s English Magic was a highlight of 2013. With Sarah Lucas representing the UK, 2015 promises to be a stellar year — her sculptures have a sense of humour, sometimes pointed but always irreverent. Danh Vo for Denmark is one of the most exciting artists working right now and all eyes will be on him in Venice this year. Also, the Chinese pavilion — it remains such a growing hotspot for contemporary art and this will be an unmissable snapshot of the one of the world’s most dynamic art scenes.
‘Beyond the pavilions, I am looking forward to Okwui Enwezor’s exhibition All the World’s Futures, with 136 artists taking part it will have a huge amount of material to consider. It will also be fantastic to see the architectural structure David Adjaye has designed to accommodate live events; good design is a sometimes overlooked, but always crucial, part of the exhibition experience. Finally, Jackson Pollock at the Guggenheim will be undoubtedly be another place that I will spend time.’
The chairwoman of the Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq has commissioned the country’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Here, she talks about the task of tracking down artists in a war-torn country, and the triumph of creativity against all odds. Read more
09.30 What makes the Venice Biennale so different — and so special?
David Linley, Honorary Chairman, Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia & India: ‘It was the first global meeting place for the contemporary art world. Today we’re all very familiar with a contemporary art world that stretches to all corners of the globe but Venice sets the precedent for all other biennales, art fairs and festivals to follow. The art and the city combine in an intoxicating mix that is impossible not to find seductive.’
Boris Vervoordt, Director of Art & Antiques at Axel Vervoordt: ‘Venice is where the old and the contemporary meet to become timeless.’
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