If you swapped javelins for paintbrushes, shot-puts for oil pastels and gave your 100m runner a videocamera you sort of have the bones of it. La Biennale - the Olympics of the art world. Founded in 1895 as a biannual celebration of art, every two years countries from across the globe bring their best sprinter(s) (still going along with the sports metaphor) to Venice, to showcase their work to the rest of the world.
Now don't get me wrong, i'm thoroughly proud to be British. And whilst i'd happily sit outside in the pouring rain, holding my union jack umbrella and drinking gin & tonic from a teacup, i'd rather watch Usain Bolt in the 100m than watch a fellow countryman in the fencing final. This is sort of how I felt about La Biennale.
100% rooting for Ireland and China.
This was beyond a shadow of a doubt my favourite pavilion of the 55th Biennale, so much so I went back to see it three times!
Inserting themselves as journalists inside armed groups, Mosse, alongside cinematographer Trevor Tweeten and composer Ben Frost, were able to capture footage of Congo's war zone, plagued by frequent ambushes, massacres and sexual violence. "The Enclave, is the culmination of Mosse’s attempt to rethink war photography."
The five screen multimedia installation showcases photography, film and sound recorded during the two year period in Congo.
The Kingdom of Bahrain: A World Of Your Own
Latvia: North by Northeast
According to the guide book this pavilion probes into the relationship between man and nature. For me this relationship was acute fear, as you enter the room only to find a whopping great tree (presumably installed by a Latvian man) coming right at you.
Latin America: The Atlas of Empire
Here we were invited to stick chewing gum on the screen whilst being educated by a 20minute video on the correct etiquette of chewing gum. Quite the paradox.
Channa Horwitz (USA)
From afar these just look like pretty rainbow pictures, up close you realise that the artist has hand drawn each minute line. To give some perspective, each square inch of the graph paper is divided into sixty-four squares.
Lin Xue (China)
4 o'Clock can only mean one thing. Tea break.
Taking illy's words to heart, Soph sat on the canal bank and admired the, well the canal.
Never one to miss out on canal appreciation, Lois ajoined.
After Twinnings had worked its magic, we were feeling revitalised and ready for round two.
Various works from various artists from various countries.
