THE VENICE BIENNALE 2019

You still have until november 24th to experience the Venice Biennale  2019 ! It’s so huge and the offer – regarding temporary exhibitions and events- besides the giardini’s pavilions and the Arsenal are so abundant  that it’s important to prepare your visit ahead.  Here is my selection for you :

1° My favorite pavilions :

Well this year in the Giardini only 4 retain my attention  :

• Switzerland : they could have won the Gold Lion ! Pauline Baudry and Renate Lorenz present a groovy installation, both sensorial and physical,   called ” Moving backwards” , which is actually a symbolic resistance to the regressive global political background we are living.
• Denmark : a mesmerizing installation with a sci-fi movie  and sculpture by Larisa Sensour-danish- palestinian artist-where history, identity and memory are threads leading us in a world where individual experience is meeting collective one.
• Brazil : more dance ! I feel like music and choreography are very present this year and I don’t complain. Here the wild rythms of the installation called ” Swinguerra “, mix of guerra ( war) and swing, takes you deeply. The artists Barbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca filmed and photographed street dance battles performed by gifted young people. Freedom and individual differences blended in a cultural mix are the key words , becoming  even more precious now knowing the current political situation.
• Serbia  :  1 painting by Djordje Ozbolt retained my attention. a perfect mix of symbolism, figuration and abstraction.
• + pictures coming soon  😉 and more details as well for the following lists :

2° Italian pavilion in the giardini :

• Henry Taylor’s portraits
• Gabriel Rico ‘s installations

3) In the Arsenale I found many works filed with anxiety, evoking dark times, spreading a heavy energy but always extremely meaningful and well done. Among my favorite :

• Gabriel Rico
• Shilpa Gupta
• Arthur Jafa
• Tarek Atoui
• Christine and Margareth Wertheim
• Sun Yuan and Peng Yu

3° The golden lion has been awarded to Lithuanian pavilion and it’s must see ! Actually it’s an experience as the art piece is an operawork-performance.

4° My favorite temporary exhibitions in the Serenissima :

• Luc Tuymans in Palazzo Grassi
• Punta della dogana- Pinault collection
• Kounellis in Prada Foundation
•  Carpenters workshop at Ca’ d’oro
• Arp at Peggy Guggenheim’s collection
• Helen Frankenthaler at Palazzo Grimani
• Glass Stress in Murano

Bars :

After a long day of visit where to have delicious ciccheti ? Just in front of famous Frari church at lovely Café dei frari, the best place is oustside, standing by the canal.

If you prefer a more sophisticated and refined atmosphere, I do recommend  an historical palazzo transformed into a splendid luxury retreat : Aman Venice in Papadoppoli palace.The peace is breathtaking and cocktails are stunning ! Just memorable and fabulous.

Restaurants :

After the Arsenale visit Corte Sconta will be your heaven of peace ! The fishes are so delicious and you can relax in the lovely courtyard, dreaming about Corto Maltese adventures.

When in Murano book absolutely at Busa alla torre da Lele : the best venetian fry and my favorite vongole !

 

more to come at the end of september , thanks for you patience 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venice Biennale 2017

 

You still have time to visit the Venice Biennale, until november 26 th exactly. We were there one month ago and I had few big crushes I wanted to share with you. Let’s start with the Giardini and my top 5 pavillions :

1°  Switzerland : the  pavilion is a tribute to Giacometti who actually never represented his country in the Biennale. The installation/ movie made Birchler and Hubbard moved us so deeply ! It’s about the forgotten love of the sculptor called Flora Mayo, which is also an edifying destiny of a woman artist coming from USA at the beginning of the century, thanks to the support of her family, until the crisis of 1929 ruined her artistic hopes and life… Nothing remains from her creations except a photograph of a wonderful bust she made of Giaco…I’m still haunted by her story.

2° Corea :  Glad to discover Cody Choi, an enfant terrible of contemporary art. Subversive,  transgressive, and meaningful.

3° France : The day we visited the Giardini was really  magical as Nigel Godrich the producer of Radio head came to the pavilion-studio for a string session recording and the artist Xavier Veilhan was there too. Creation in motion.

4° Austria : up to you to activate famous Erwin Wurm one minute sculpture.  Hilarious !

5° Belgium  : the somptuous dark and mysterious images by Dirk Braeckman mesmerized me. I admire greatly their pictorial quality.

The german pavilion is out of competition if I could say as the excellent artist Anne Imhof -who received the golden lion- choose to present an impressive live performance for the opening and ..nothing remains for it. Go and see it nevertheless.

 

In the Arsenale, my favorite works were :

1° Julian Charriere  

2°Michelle Stuart  

3°Ernesto Neto  

4°Leonor Antunes

5°Kader Attia 

6°Alicia Kwade 

Don’t miss  also these 2 pavilions in the Arsenale :

• China, especially with two artists whose artworks are displayed on the ceiling : Wangtianwen and Yaohuifen. 

• and the Georgian one  with Vajiko Chachkhiani . Everyone is talking about his outstanding installation : a  house where a non stoppable inside rain will ruin everything…

Big crush also for the nigeran pavilion,  located in  Scoletta dei Battioro e dei Tiraoro,  a building from early 18th century, that was once home to Venice’s gold thread and gold leaf guild. Moreover this is the first participation of this country for the Biennale. Peju Alatise ‘s installation, evoking a yoruba tale is a must see ! Formal perfection and moving background with an actual echo of african female condition.

The best exhibitions to see in Venice during this Biennale  :

1° Palazzo Fortuny and Axel Vervoordt choice. A must attend rendez-vous , the true spirit of  connoisseurs, but, alas , the last edition… so Enjoy !!

2° Dont miss, next to Santa Maria dei Miracoli the outstanding Palazzo Soranzo van Axel : 

In this place, just refurbished , you can see a group show curated by Pouchkine museum. I loved especially 2 excellent artworks :

• a magnetic video by David Claerbout about a strange wood.
• an impressive sound installation by Yri Kalendarev that you can activate

 

3° Prada Foundation : a complex exhibiton – very german-  with Thomas Demand, Alexander Kluge and Anna Viebrock, that turns to be a strange and disquieting experience for the visitor… but really worth doing !

 

I invite yo to go on my Insta and turn the clock back to mid- august to see my posts from Venice , including the Biennale @parisdeluxearty ! 

 

 

 

The 2015 Biennale of Contemporary Art in wonderful and magical Venice.

Edwart and I travelled to Venice last month and we spent 11 marvelous days in my favorite city : Venice ! This is our preferred rendez-vous every two years with contemporary Art, the exquisite opportunity to mix pleasure and …well, I can’t write work, I should definitely say : passion ! The passion of discovering new works, new artists, new shows…after 11 days we are experts of this 2015 Biennale and I’m going to tell you what I’ve loved so much this year. You can take this post as a kind of Biennale short cut to help you to find your way easier and faster among the hundreds offers and proposals on view until november 22nd in the Serenissima City !

As usually everything starts with the best Bellini at .. the Gritti ! 😉
We stayed this time at the San Regis on San Clemente island, just 15 minutes boat ride from Piazza san Marco (former San Clemente Palace hotel) which is even better now than during our first stay there 4 years ago

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This is the best option in summer as they have a great swimming pool and fantastic huge garden with different atmospheres. We were so well received by the butler team and guests service team : Joana, Lena, Allesandro… They took care of us so well ! The golden keys concierges were also great. We enjoyed every minute spent in this great and exceptional resort. Moreover we discover the new chef and his excellent cuisine, one of the best in Venice !

The food was excellent also by the pool (I will remember with emotions this winter the great green pizza that enchanted our sunny pool afternoons ! ).

If you don’t have a lot of time while you’re in the City of Doges and want to see the best of the Biennale and exhibitions around, here is my short list . Actually I prefer to simply name the best artists without describing their works as the pleasure of discovering and effects of surprise are important . And if you don’t go to Venice this year, don’t worry you’ll find many articles and pics on the net !

1) My Top 10 of the Biennale Giardini pavillions :
– Nordic Pavillion with Camille Norment ( our favorite !)
– French Pavillion with Celeste Boursier-Mougenot
– Japonese Pavillion with Chiaru Shiota
– Australian Pavillion with Fiona Hall
– Austrian Pavillion with Heimo Zobernig
– Romanian Pavillion with Adrian Ghenie ( Ghenie the Ghenius !)
– British Pavillion with Sarah Lucas ( well …the biggest controversy : either you like either you laugh at loud !)
– Corean pavillion with Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho
– Netherlands Pavillion with Herman de Vries
– Finland Pavillion with IC 98

pics below : Nordic -French- Australian- Romanian pavilions

            

2) My Top 7 artists in the Arsenale :

– Adel Abdessemed with Bruce Nauman-1st and 2nd pic below– at the entrance ( powerful !)
– Theater Gates ( big huge crush !!moving and mesmerizing video/ installation, I couldn’t leave the room)
– Ji Dachun
– Ricardo Brey ( the Alchimist) 3rd pic below
– Tiffany Chung ( small scales )
– Lorna Simpson 4th pic below

     

  

Special mention to the Turkish pavillion with Sarkis (moving and so meaningful in this very special year for Armenian people) located in a building inside the Arsenal

3) My Top 5 exhibitions in Venice :
– Mario Merz at the Accademia : the best show, according to me an example of art of hanging + the quality of selected pieces . What else ? 😉

– Cy Twombly at Ca’ Pesaro for the amazing landscapes echoing Courbet powerful sens of nature and for the roses series I’ve discovered. I like when a giant still charms my eyes and spirit.

– Charles Pollock at Peggy’s home (Peggy Guggenheim Foundation).
Know the son, don’t you ? Meet the father ! You’ll love and will understand more about abstract expressionnism.
– Glass Stress ( located just in front the Accademia) ! When the so venitian medium meets contemporary art : surprising and magical, espcecially if you’re not familiar with contemporary art, a cool way to get in.
– A must do during the Biennale, the rendez-vous of connoisseurs : Axel Vervoordt show in mythical Palazzo Fortuny, the alliance of taste and knowledge, always thrilling !( below sculpture by Chilida )

2 Honourable mentions :
– French ex POP artist Martial Raysse at Palazzo Grassi. Better display than in Pompidou Center. And if you’ve ever been to this show last year in Paris, well you MUST go to Venice and see it in Palazzo Grassi !

– Hiroshi Sugimoto with his tea Pavillion , tribute to Mondrian on San Giorgio Maggiore island. Soothing moment. You deserve it, especially while you’re running from one show to another with the fear of missing out ( believe me, this peculiar anxiety is called …fomo. Yes I’m serious, there is a name for this venetian fear !).

Well, don’t worry, the point is to participate during these Olympic games of contemporary Art, as newspapers call this Biennale, and we did more than well this year, under the fabulous skys of Serenissima !

       

 

Venice 2013 for the 55th Biennale of Art : my favorite rendez-vous !

What I like first with the Biennale in Italy is that I know I will always travel to my prefered city each 2 years at the minimum !

So here we are back to Paris after a fantastic trip, 12 days of artistic discoveries and marvellous meetings…

We started with La Punta della Dogana (Pinault Collection) where we liked the amazing installation by Ryan Trecartin and I especially loved James Lee Byars installation that looked like a self-portrait :

The day after we went to the Palazzo Grassi to admire Rudolf Stingel total art work. I really enjoy his abstract/figurative artworks , reflexion on creation based on reproduced/printed artwork after photographs and tension between decorative/ abstract/ firgurative.  I liked also the dimension of unease and grostesque introduced in his figurative artworks.

If you want to sip one og the best Bellini in town, take advantage after your tour in Palazzo Grassi to stop at this new hotel (opened 2 years ago) next door called “Palazzina Grassi” designed by french famous designer Starck. Sounds like  a mix of Royal Monceau and Le Meurice on a reduced scale. ! A very good bar and restaurant for rainy day more than a summer spot but the peaches in our cocktail were so tasty, heaven !

       

My favorite pavilion  this year was Denmark with videos and installation by Jesper Just : “The project will consist of five films played simultaneously on a loop that examine “architectural pastiche and cultural dislocation,” no need to say more, I was mesmerized !

I was impressed also by the belgium pavillion with Berlinde de Bruykhere : amazing sculpture , a dramatic mix of  nature and organic that haunts the place

In the american pavilion  Sarah Sze  organizes and arranges obsessionnally and in an extraordinary way, like  in small universes,  the chaos of little ordinary things that surrounds us.

The french pavilion -of course !-with Henri Sala and his Ravel-Unravel, because of Ravel for sure!  I just would say :  no Rival for Ravel !

Speaking about music I did enjoy very much the performance of DJ in Israelian pavilion.

You’ve got my top 5 for Giardini !

In the central pavilion there was another exquisite James Lee Byars work and I liked also Melvin Motti video very much.

     

The most impressive room was the works of  Serra matching prefectly with Thierry de Cordier dark seascapes. Very dramatic (sorry I don’t have the Serras on pic ! ).

I liked very much the Arsenale this year which is rare ! The place is such a big challenge usually, for many reason, first of all its  raw beauty trapping the gaze, not easy to hang works…then the number of work generally displayed ! but this year the curator (Massimiliano Gioni) made really an effort to offer an exhibition with a hanging “readable”,  clearer, and accessible,  despite a (too much) ambitious title :  “Il palazzo enciclopedico” !

Among the outstanding works we highly appreciated the video by french artist Camille Henrot “Grosse Fatigue’ , the artist was rewarded a silver lion and I discovered also the radiant work of Eugene Von Bruechenhein :

Don’ t miss room N°10 in the Arsenale, curated by Cindy Sherman ! a strange family air is floating around..

At Ca’ Pesaro, the museum of Modern Art famous for his gorgeous Klimt , “Judith or Salome”  don’t miss too the exhibition of ( a part of)  Sonnabend collection !

Illeana Sonnabend was one of the greatest art dealer and collector (1914-2007), she a been married to Leo Castelli. There is NO fault or mistake in this exhibition !

I loved  the room showing Larry bell ‘s cube next to Dan Flavin, Peter Halley, McCracken (not on pic) : just perfect !

    

Without speaking of majestuous Keith Sonnier :

Venice is not a just a city turned towards the past as you can see and Peggy Guggenheim knew it too , choosing Palazzo Venier dei Leoni as her residence and then Foundation. I did enjoy the exhibition of a recent donation : Hannelore and Rudolph B. Schulhof. Even the works on paper or small size works were very well selected like Ryman or Bridget Riley :

       

If you go to Venice this fall, I do recommend also “Glasstress” in front of Academia, based on use of glass in contemporary art, always surprising and seducing ! One of my favorite this year  : Mat Collishaw, “East of Eden”  and Paul Fryer , “Nebula” :

   

Prada Foundation proposes this year a very challenging exhibition, curated by Germano Celant : the exact replica of an artistic milestone, shown in Bern in 1969 : “When attitudes become forms” . Well, for the  generation born after this year,  is the opportunity is see gathered in one place the foundations stones of what some would call “contemporary art”. This is there that we learnt the death of Walter De Maria a week ago and we were so sad he couldn’t call us on the phone anymore, as he used to do from time to time (he did it for the opening). We would have loved to tell him we were great fans of his work and we did liked the installation in the last room of the Corderie in the Arsenale…

One of my dear friend working with Prada Foundation has also an uncle in Venice who opened recently a wine bar called All’Amarone, calle del Lughaner in San Polo, not far from Rialto market.  It was of course on my top list ! we went and loved the place : taditional wooden decor with a touch of crazy design (the bottles are refreshed in a glowing red bath tub!), excellent choices for italian wines of course and delicious cicchetti with tasty prosciutto, mozarella…the perfect vineria I now recommend.

In Venice you can change easily you perspective and point of view going to Giudecca island for example in Zitelle district, for a dinner at I Figli delle Strelle where you can enjoy a gorgeous view on the Palazzo Ducale. Trendy restaurant with 50’s touch inside and excellent sea food

      

And I ‘ve kept the best (kept secret)  for the end : the recent openig -last june- of Aman Palace in Venice after 2 years restoration with the best craftmen !  imagine a traditional venitian palazzo offering 24 high end luxury rooms : the perfect balance between contemporary design- so refined and elegant with an asian touch in the sophistication-  and the highest beauty of a typical venitain private mansion ! You just feel like beeing a guest of an aristocratic venitian family. Moreover you can have the privilege to enjoy a lovely dinner in a fabulous dinnig room overlooking Grand Canal, in an exquisite thai version or in original version with delicious venitian specialties revisited. We did appreciated the welcome, the service, the dinner, the decor…well it was absolutly Deluxe&Arty from the beginning to the end of our stay !  and that’s my favorite address now in Venice for sure I recommend to my clients. http://www.amanresorts.com/amancanalgrandevenice/theresort.aspx

        

One week in the most beautiful city in the world, very Deluxe&Arty : Venice !!

Ciao amici ! we just come back from Venice and it was sooo fantastic I would like to live there 6 months per  year ! This is really the most beautiful city in the world and 20 millions people do agree with me !

Moreover this is the 54th Biennale of contemporary art this year, so many exhibitions and artists to discover in a unique atmosphere…

     

We stayed at The San Clemente Place hotel and resort, this is THE place to be in summer ! Located on an island, 15 min boat ride only from Piazza San Marco (free shuttle service each 20 min), the 5-star hotel opened in 2004, after immense works in a former convent. Today it offers a marvellous garden with several hundred years old trees, a golf, two tennis courts, a refreshing pool, 2 restaurants… I take advantage to thank Melissa who helped us to improve our stay and make it memorable, grazie mille carissima ! Below : our bedchamber (we were upgraded with a junior suite), the bar, the pool.

           

The Biennale of Art 2011 :

We loved the austrian pavillion in the giardini with Marcus Schinwald.In the same time an installation, video and paintings, creating a white hanging maze with strange and unquiet meetings : anonymous portrait who received new proesthetics on their faces, minimalist sculptures hidden in corners with hangers and great video , closer to contemporary dance with body trapped  and contortions.Fabulous !

    

We also loved Sigalit Landau in Israel pavillion with shoes recovered with salt from dead sea falling down slowly in the sea.

Don’t miss the british pavillion by  Mike Nelson, you fell like visiting a taliban house…very impressive.

Are you a fluxus fan ? Visit the german pavillion, a flux oratorio (winner pavillion this year) by Christophe Schlingensief. Total success.

Art around the clock : in the Arsenal (globally very disappointed according to me this year) don’t miss Jean-Luc Mylaine and his fabulous birds,

James Turell for a space and light experience, and the great winner is (golden lion) : Christian Marclay with “The clock”, a video lasting 24h, a fantastic collage of movies excerpts evoking each minute of the day and night !

Want to have fun ? visit the narrow house by austrian artist Erwin Wurm (in Palazzo Franchetti’s gardens).Wurm was  famous for fat objects, here is some picture and there is no special effect !

      

Next to the house the exhibition “Glasstress” : master of contemporary art using glass in their work. Beauty still exist in Art if you ever doubted and you can find it here. Javier Perez crown of thorn is a good example as well as Zaha Hadid  futurist flowing like desk or Charlotte Gyllenhammar ‘s Alice in wonderland world :

    

Am a great fan of Pinault’s collection but photographs are not allowed…Nevertheless I do recommend Punta della dogana for Koons’s big red heart, Tatiana Trouvé drawings , Julie Merethu works … In Palazzo Grassi you cannot miss Joanna Vasconcelos  (next year in Versailles !) with a textile sculpture, a proliferating assemblage on  all the height of the building  : spectacular, decorative and a tribute to minor and folk art on a giant scale. after Wurm, great fun too with Francesco Vezzoli video : a pastiche of Hollywood true story, a kinf of hilarious self-portrait !

Prada exhibits its own collection in a fabulous 18th century palazzo Ca’ Correr della Regina : the place is great first for architecture, and  frescoes influenced by Veronese, then the collection with Pino Pascali (see below), Anish Kapoor (early work), Francesco Vezzoli again (works after famous Bernini with my friend Eva Mendes, we went to Louvre and Pompidou center together some year ago, fabulous and adorable girl !).

        

Do you know Axel ver Voordt ? a man of taste for sure then a famous belgium art dealer who loves to mix antique, modern and contemporary art , creating connoisseur cabinet. Each two years my great pleasure is to visit his new opus at charming Palazzo Fortuny (first pleats please inventor !). Among the treasures this year  (Op Art, Arte Povera, James Turrell, Lygia Pape …) , my favorite artist : Anthony Gormley !! I looove the dynamic energy emanting from this inner body… by the way, is this a centrifugal or centripetal strenght ? actually it’s working  in both way…

(Some of) My favorite restaurants in Venice :

1) da Forni

Spaghetti vongole is my sin in Venice ! I can eat them each day ! the best I’ve ever had  are there. Without forgetting another venitian specialty : le canocie (sea cicadas ).The waiters are just perfect, they make me think about italian movies in the 60’s, I can imagine them  twisting on Adriano Celentano…

             

2) the best Bellini ? At Gritti !!

How romantic  ! a dinner at Gritti Palace hotel (remember “Everybody says I love you”by Woody Allen ?) : we started with a glass of Bellini, our table facing la Salute …we had the tasting menu and we finished with an exquisite and incredibly light Tiramisu :

    

3) last day in Venice ritual : a dinner on Danieli terrace

It’s a ritual now, a way to say goodbye-but never farewell- to the Serenissima : we have a lunch with a view in legendary  Palace  Hotel Danieli, on the top roof.

That night the sky was so spectacular, we had a a marvellous table  and I enjoy so much my lobster salad !!

         

Shopping in Venice :

I’m so happy, I’ve found THE perfect gift from Venice you can wear each day at home !! I was so excited to find “Furlane”, these elegant venitian slippers originally  used by gondoliers and customized today with coral motifs made of beads. It is said that courtisans worn them when they went out, late at night, in venitian street …Mine furlane were embroidered by this charming lady, owner of a shop called “Venitian dream” (3805A, calle de la Mandola) I do recommend you.