The Quebec collective BGL rocked it out of the Giardini park at this year’s Biennale. Total buzz about their “Canadassimo” interactive installation. This was my first Venice Biennale and the same for my friend William Angst.
That is him in the Japanese pavillion in front of Chiharu Shiota’s installation “Key In The Hand”. We saw her work at Dasha Shenkman’s in London earlier in the month.
The serious game of art [a term used by BGL] was overwhelming in creativity and volume at the fair. There was no way to cover it all. So much was experiential. Lots of sound and video installations as well.
We went to wonderful dinners and discussed the day’s discoveries.
At a RBC Palace evening, I was lucky enough to sit next to Nicolas Laverdière – the L of BGL. Great guy.
Marc Mayer from the National Gallery lead the way and was fascinating and fun.
We all liked the Egyptian Pavillion about peace and this remarkable poem from so long ago.
Outside of the Giardini and the Arsenale was a whole other scene. Took me a while to catch on to the spontaneous performances. Especially the comando squad. I actually believed there was some sort of securtiy threat.
Until this happened.
The water taxis were also artful.
and sidewalk scenes
And not without politics.
This stencil appeared all over Venice- pointing in all directions.
And near our apartment
It was a great, exciting, inspiring and exhausing trip. Thank you Partners In Art.
