Venice Chronicles – Day 3

Yesterday was a long day. Seeing 5 pavilions and hanging out abit into the night, somewhat derailed us. Started late and left the house when ’twas already hot.

The plan was to see the South African Pavilion and like many, the specific address is not on the info pack. Just says Sale D’Armi, Arsenale, Venice. With our limited knowledge of Venezia we set out, got lost and frustrated before we ‘accidentally’ found it. Stumbling upon things has been a key element of this trip.

There’s a lot happening at Sale D’Armi. One half of the main Venice exhibition Viva Arte Viva is happening there. Also there are the national pavilions of Albania, Singapore, Turkey, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Macedonia, Tunisia, Argentina, New Zealand, Latvia, Ireland, Slovenia, Georgia, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Indonesia, Tuvalu, Chile and Philipines. It also happens to host the biennale sessions and education secretariat.

So here we are at Viva Arte Viva – the Venice blockbuster. Which the curator Christine Macel says, “is a biennale designed with artists, by artists and for artists, about the forms they propose, the questions they ask, the practice they develop and the ways of life they choose. Quite flattering for an artist. No?

Adrenaline’s pumping as we walk in. I see my partners in crime 4 hours later but in between I experience strange emotions/sensations.

Rasheed Araeen's "Zero To Infinity in Venice" (l) and Lee Mingwei's "The Mending Project" (Photos Courtesy Michael Soi) 

You know a show is great when the first artwork is you encounter is by Rasheed Araeen. He of The Third Text. Those guys you want to be when you grow up. I shall not embellish his achievements for he is who he is. I rarely get star struck but Rasheed’s work and a few (if I were to be honest, a lot) other artists do the trick (another long story for another day, hopefully).

A walk through the exhibition feels like a kid a candy store. Or our 10 year old having a fifteen inch Hawaiian pizza all for himself.

Francis Upritchard (Photos Courtesy Michael Soi)

I get to see a lot of artists whose work I know but there’s this indescribable feeling of seeing great work by artist you’ve never heard of, who’ve got great philosophies behind their practice. This somewhat feels like that favorite class in art school.

The only not-pleasant thing I can say about being in this space, just like in any blockbuster exhibition in these times is the annoying number of ‘viewers’ who want to take selfies when you’re having that ‘serious discourse’ with a an artwork. I had at least 10 rude requests to move so that I don’t photobomb someone’s perfect selfie. It’s a compliment to artists when it gets to that and it’s good for the money-men when the visitor count is that high but it’s infuriating for someone who just wants to enjoy the exhibition.

Nicholas Garcia Urubiru's "Coloration Urubiru" (l) and thu Van Tan's "overly Forced Gestures, From Harvest To Fight"

Viva Arte Viva is a great show. Venice seems to be going monumental – everywhere you turn the works are huge. A constant however, is the commonalities in issues artists are addressing - human rights, geopolitics, migration, consumerism and environmental concerns.

My personal favourites included Lee Mingwei’s ‘Mending Project’, Nicolas Garcia Uriburu (Coloration Uriburu), Thu Van Tran (Overly Forced Gestures, From Harvest To Fight), Anri Sala (All Of A Tremble – Encounter) Huguette Caland (Christine) and Maha Malluh (Food For Thought “Amma Baad’). There is also a good presentation of videos but it’s a shame I skipped a lot of them. I’m one of those who can’t watch TV in a dark room. And just a peek into the darkened cubicles with those 60ish inch UHD TVs was enough to remind me of the consequences of televisions and dark rooms.

Huguette Caland

It’s a show anyone remotely interested in contemporary art should see. Artists especially – it is important to be aware of what other artists are doing and how work is presented in such platforms. It’s also one of those projects curators or anyone involved in art presentation should use as a benchmark. One of those ‘when I grow up shows.

It’s overwhelming as I leave the show but there’s a little energy still left in me and have 30 minutes before the forecast rains start pounding Venice so I do a quick dash to the South African pavilion. I find Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and UAE before I get to RSA. It’s not what I expected. I mask my disappointment and try to get to Canal Grande before the rains.

A beer with my partners in crime while reviewing the show is when Amanda informs me that I missed my friend Jelili Atiku’s work! Not sure what else I didn’t see. Another good day.

The other part is in Giardini. Thursday plan.

Venice Chronicles – Day 2

Tuesday 0500Hrs and coincidentally Bob Marley’s ‘Survival’ album is playing.

“Soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionary, 'Cause I don't want my people to be contrary. And, brother, you're right, you're right… We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight)… Mash it up in-a Zimbabwe; Natty trash it in-a Zimbabwe; Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe; I'n'I a-liberate Zimbabwe.”

I quickly reconcile where I am and what am supposed to do so after a quick freshening up, coffee and fully charged gadgets, my partners in crime and I are off in search of the Zim Pavilion.

It’s a ten-minute slow walk to Santa Maria della Pieta Institute and we’re almost the first guests of the day. Zimbabwe is close to most Kenyan art practitioners thanks to earlier interactions with artists like Tapfuma Gutsa, Rashid Jogee, Chiko Chazunguza, Mambakwedza Mutasa and the pavilion curator Chinovava Chikukwa who recently facilitated a curatorial workshop in Kenya and offers us pro bono advice on matters art. For that we are eternally grateful.

We get to the second floor and after niceties with the pleasant hostess, tunafanya ile imetuleta hapa.

L to R - Charles Bhebe's 'Isndigo', Dana Whabira's 'Suspended in Animation', Admire Kamudzengerere & Sylvester Mubayi's 'Snail Crossing River' (Photos courtesy Michael Soi)

Have to give it up for the Zim team. They’ve been consistent over 4 biennales and are showing 4 artists – Sylvester Mubayi, Charles Bhebe, Dana Whabira & Admire Kamudzengerere in their exhibition ‘Deconstructing Boundaries: Exploring Ideas Of Belonging.

It is a tight unit. The work shown, in relation to the space and how it’s presented works well. They even have a take-home glossy catalogue with all the information not only about the current pavilion, but also a history lesson of where they’re from artistically with recommendations on what to look at if interested more in them. Exactly why countries need to be on that podium. We leave happy with a bias to Whabira’s work.

Santa Maria della Pietta is home to 3 other country pavilions. We dash across to Mauritius as we have very good friends there. It’s a small space with not so friendly folk sitting in. Long story for another day on what kind of person should be in manning a country pavilion/exhibition.

L to R - Chimedjjor's 'I'm Bird' and Munkkh Ganbold's 'Karma of Eating'

Across the yard, is the national Pavilion of Mongolia. Their show “Lost In Tingri (Heaven)” has five artists exploring the urgencies of Mongolian contemporary society. It is well articulated and starts making sense as you engage the work. It’s a very minimalistic exhibition set in a small space but very strong content. It’s got all the fours of a good exhibition – beauty, seduction, tension & conversation.

As we leave, we now know there’s more to Mongolia than not-so-good football.

Next to Mongolia is the tiny principality with a reputation of being the European football whipping boys, but we shall stick to art. Andorra.

Eva Ariza's 'Murmur'

It’s a one-artist pavilion titled “Murmuri” and showing Eve Ariza’s work.

Murmuri is a reflection on a universal language, an in-depth research on the material in mutation and the origins of form and sound. Ariza works on the multiplication of the ceramic bowl as a container of truth and placidity. The project carries on the artist's battle against “bla”, the concept of overconsumption and overfeeding on images and sounds as tangibly the sole foundation of today's society

It’s a breathtaking installation that immerses the viewer deep into “bla”

It’s now hot, we’re hungry and everyone else is having that large beer while taking selfies at the restaurants next to Canal grande. Even us.

We find us at S.Stae at the Nigerian pavilion - “How About NOW?” It is their first ever pavilion and features 3 artists – Victor Ehikhamenor, Qudus Onikeku & Peju Alatise. Over lunch, the discussion had been on art from the African continent & gentrification and this show is somewhat an illustration to the conversation. I particularly like Alatise’s (and maybe Victor’s) work but I find the exhibition text quite embellished.

L to R - Peju Alatise's 'Flying Girls', Qudus Onikeku's 'Right Here, Right Now' and Victor Ehikhamenor's 'Biography Of The Forgotten. (Photos courtesy Michael Soi)

All the same, congrats 9ja.

We’re done for the day but stumble upon another pavilion. A stateless country referred to as NSK (Neue Slowenische Kunst). It was conceived as a utopian formation, which would have no physical territory and would not be identified with any existing nation state. (http://nsk-state-pavilion.org/about/)

They have a very good set up where the floor slanting at about 30 degrees and the walls not upright which somewhat plays with your balance and makes it almost impossible to view the artworks.

The NSK Pavillion

Being stateless means their conversation is about migration and boundaries and the physically difficult space to navigate illustrates the bottlenecks of border crossings. It however changes when they start calling themselves ‘delegates’ and can’t draw a line whether it’s an art activity or sociological project.

They spoilt it more when they parade 2 young undocumented aliens from probably the most stable democracies in Africa to illustrate their cause. Another case of the sideshows spoiling the party.

By now, we’ve seen enough art and one of us is craving sugar free ice cream. It’s been a good day. Funny how you come with your to do list but the things you stumble upon end up being your most memorable.

South Africa & Damien Hirst are on today’s list but I am not underestimating Venice and its surprises. Maybe even Another Country.

Venice Chronicles: Day 1

A friend of a friend was recently quoted as saying “If travelling was free, they’d never come back home.” That they’d keep going without stopping. I believed them and wished I’d be as honest as they were!

Hanging out with the folk I do, I was meant to come to Venice earlier but wasn’t really sure I wanted to. I am at a point in my life where my travels are dictated by numerous factors – will, family, time, finances, immigration terms & conditions etc (not necessarily in that order). I had every reason not to but thanks to my partner-in-crime, when the Biennale started, I had to get here. I got ‘the release’ from family, made time, accessed some funds and dealt with the consular man. Come Saturday, after Kim’s show, we caught the flight and after the usual airport delays, some profiling and misplaced luggage we got to Marco Polo.

It’s my first time in Venice so I gave myself time to play tourist; Amanda, Soi and I even had time to be fleeced. We almost paid five euros a piece to feed stray pigeons yet when we were 10, that would have been enough to own all the birds in the hood we grew up in. True story. Luckily we didn’t!

After settling in, we did the usual – pizza, beer, photos, getting lost… then started doing what we told the immigration guys was bringing us to Venice – the true story!

We even got a “Guida alla Biennale di Venezia 2017” and hit the road to see the Biennale. As it was Sunday, most places were closed but we set out to get our bearings and laugh at other tourists taking selfies. We saw a couple of spaces and identified the next day’s targets.

Monday morning, everything was still closed so we set out on a mission to see Damien Hirst’s “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable” at Palazzo Grassi but had a chance encounter with the Cuban (National) Pavilion – Tempo De La Intuicion. It felt like winning a lottery! There is an unmissable communist era typical Cuban car for special effect that draws everyone in Venice to the location.

Rene Pena's Digital photographs On Canvas (133x100cm Each) - Images courtesy Michael Soi

When I walked into the Instituto Veneto de Scienze, Lettere Ed Arti, I wasn’t ready for what awaited! Every work takes your breath away. It all deserves to be there. It is coherently put together. That pavilion cannot be described by a couple of words but when forced to use a single word, It’d be in the superlative.

Abel Barroso' Cuban Style Cyber Lounge (Xylography Based installation)

It’s one helluva pavilion. The type of stuff artists live for. Well conceptualized and properly presented. Their publications are all in Spanish but to hell with languages. The work speaks to you. In your mother tongue. You don’t want to leave.

Ivan Capote's Life Is A Text That We Learn To Read (l) and Aimee Garcia's Rewind (Perfomance & Video installation)

As someone interested in presenting contemporary culture, I figured - what does it take to commission artists produce work of such scale & importance, ship it to ‘remote’ Venezia and exhibit it for the duration of the biennale? I thought I did. Maybe I do. But for the team that did it - Viva Cuba. I shall definitely go see it again and when I grow up, I wish I can walk into an exhibition somewhere far away from home and see work by my kinsfolk presented just like that. In a space as grand as that. Or even better.

Once upon a time, we had a vision of having a proper country pavilion in Venice. We still do. Some of us think we already have. Long story for another day. 

Propaganda tells us that countries like Cuba, North Korea, and Zimbabwe among others, are dictatorships that can never get anything right but that’s just what it is. Propaganda.

This morning, the plan is to go see Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Damien Hirst and Another Country.

Pleasant suprises are welcome though.