May 13, 2022
Today was sort of a repeat of Wednesday with us revisiting the main Biennale site, going to the exhibitions we had not done yet, and going back through the main exhibition hall to review and enjoy some of our favorites.
After getting the day going I went out for a short walk with Mark and Jodi before returning to the hotel for breakfast. We saw some guys working on pipes.
It’s pretty quiet out at 8:40am.
Breakfast was excellent.
Well fed, we got together and headed out on our 1-mile walk to the exhibition site.
The boats are already busy.
It seemed a bit more crowded on this route than it did the past two days but we still arrived a bit before the doors opened so we had time for a group photo with our school banner in front of one of the Biennale signs.
It also felt warmer, especially in the sun.
Once inside we walked to the far end of the grounds to work our back toward the front, which would not only run us by the things we hadn’t seen yet, but get us away from the bulk of the crowds.
This part of the property is next to a large harbor.
The first exhibition was the Italian in which they reused an old warehouse to tell their story.
Outside there was one of the few grassy areas we’ve encountered.
Next was the Chinese pavilion and their “Meta-Scape” by artists Wang Yuyang and Lou Jiayu.
Back outside:
There was an exhibit here too.
The next was the Uzbekistan pavilion and the “Garden of Knowledge” which had something to do with Algorizmi, the founder of the algorithm. We had to take our shoes off.
A keyboard played by a computer following a random thing.
Walking past the cafe we saw this:
The Ghana exhibition was the next one along the way.
It featured a QR code that loaded a character into your phone that followed along through the exhibit. Here is it posing with Jodi.
Aside from that, there were interesting paintings.
And a 3D piece.
And sketches generated with a plotter.
The Chilean pavilion was around the next corner. It always had a line because they only let a few in at a time due to it being an immersive film. It’s theme was about the saving of the peat beds and did this by first seating us in a so theater in the round where we were immersed in a peat bed with heavily amplified sound. This was surrounded by actual peat beds that could be viewed up close. (I later listened to a piece on BBC Radio 4 that explained that when peat beds are drained, they release lots of carbon into the atmosphere.)
After this, the group split up to individually take in exhibits that we hadn’t seen already. I’d missed the Slovenia one and was glad I found it as it was full of Surrealist paintings. Interestingly, it had sand on the floor. The artist is Mario Jakse.
It was time for lunch so Mark, Jodi, Morgan, Elizabeth, and I grabbed a quick bite at the Bar. Part of the adventure of traveling is figuring out how things work. Here, one has to squeeze in and look over the sandwiches and salads available in a display case and then go pay at the cashier who gives a receipt. The receipt is taken to the person who then gives you the selected items.
We then went back in to the main Biennale building to retrace our steps toward the exit. I was surprised how I’d missed a few exhibits on the first pass, probably because they were surrounded by a tour group at the time. This was one, wooden sculptures that produced sound, sculptures made from tone wood, goatskin, steel, and sex toys.
After a wander through the gift shop, we checked out the Armenian exhibit across the way. It was a big piece of brass that was resonating with a blend of tones.
In the next room they had the same sounds playing on a turntable. I noted that the vinyl was for sale at the door.
Another regrouping found us outside the Macau exhibit. It featured the works of two artists who do a collaboration.
We found our way to the Mongolian pavilion and their “Journey through Vulnerability.”
We then did the long walk back to the San Marco piazza. There were several pavilions off the square. First was Azerbaijan.
On the way to the next one we wandered past an outdoor restaurant with a band.
Heading for our next stop:
Selfies are mandatory, aren’t they?
Next was the Negozio Olivetti exhibit.
Now it was time to head back to the hotel. Part the the “Venice Experience” is walking through those narrow passageways, the courtyards, all the people, and the sounds. I wanted to try and capture this so I shot some videos on our way back. I put the walking videos on YouTube.
On the Rialto Bridge.
It was Happy Hour so we met up at a nice place near the hotel.
We decided to find a place to eat and cruised the town along the way. The photo opportunities abound.
We did see a cat stand its ground.
Heather, Mark, Terrin, Morgan, Jodi, and I finally settled on a small place and had a great meal.
It was well-after dark so, after stopping for some gelato to go, we headed back, taking a scenic route.
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