High art, conceptual art, political art, sublime art, incomprehensible art and art from way out on the fringe.
Photo: RNZ / Lynn Freeman
That’s what you expect from the Venice Biennale and that’s what I’ve seen here over the past few days - me and what feels like several thousand others who get into the Vernissage preview.
It’s a bun fight just getting into the two main hubs; the Arsenale and the Giardini on the waterfront.
Comparisons are tricky things and as with the 2015 Biennale, I haven’t got anywhere close seeing everything on show throughout the city.
Overall, I remember being moved by more exhibitions last time. Then again it was a serious theme - All the World’s Futures. This time it’s Viva Arte Viva - a celebration of the artist.
Today I tried to squeeze in as many exhibitions as possible, to try to experience what it’s like for the journalists and critics here for the Vernissage.
I also watch how long people stayed in different pavilions. The shortest time was 25 seconds. Really. It’s a ruthless business and if exhibitions don’t grab people from the moment they walk in the door they won’t make the effort to find out more.
I returned to Lisa Reihana: Emmisaries. I wanted to see it again and to hear how things are going.
Photo: RNZ / Lynn Freeman
Brilliantly, by all accounts. It's packing out and other countries are putting up their hands for it. They’ll have to join a queue. The work’s been ten years in the making and is guaranteed a long life ahead.
You can’t help feeling sorry for the pavilions which have sporadic half-hearted audiences. Right next door there’s just as likely to be queues metres long for another show that’s generated that essential ‘buzz’. It is a fight for prime spots often in these cases - jostling, elbows in ribs, pushing in.
The queue for the German show was 50 metres long when I arrived at the Giardini this morning. It was about half that when I returned a couple of hours later.
I wish I could tell you if it was worth the wait when I did finally get inside, the venue was so packed I saw very little of the performance art inside. Some dingy rooms where young people looked at themselves in dirty mirrors before escaping the space to blend into the crowds.
Thank heavens for the Austrians and Koreans this year. The latter set up a seedy motel offering free pole dances and peep shows. The Austrians - well I’ll be talking about the one minute sculptures we were invited to create on Standing Room Only on Sunday. It felt good to laugh at myself and the other serious types who let their hair down and took part.
Wonderful and weird - lots to think about as I start packing up to leave the city tomorrow.
Creative NZ supported Lynn’s trip to cover the Venice Biennale for RNZ.
