[PA-NJ Glassblowers] La Biennale di Venezia: The Venice Biennale

Tony Patti gaffer at glassblower.info
Sat Jul 27 15:08:05 EDT 2013


Today's Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper (Travel section pages N1 and N5) has
an interesting article discussing Venice, "Breadth in Venice"

and specifically the biennial festival La Biennale di Venezia, see for
example http://www.labiennale.org/en/Home.html

 

It is more than just glass, or even contemporary art.

Warner Bros. Space Thriller "Gravity" (staring Sandra Bullock and George
Clooney) has its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gravity-open-venice-film-festival-5797
47

 

Text below (syndicated article) from
http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/travel/international/20130614-get-on-a-
plane-and-head-to-venice-for-la-biennale.ece?ssimg=1062943

 


VENICE - At any time of year, Venice reels in tourists with her gliding
gondolas and sunset-colored palazzos, but one of this lagoon-side siren's
biggest draws is La Biennale. Up to 440,000 people flood the city for the
festival, which is organized in odd-numbered years, encompassing
contemporary art, architecture, dance, music and theatrical performances as
well as the Venice Film Festival.

The pavilions of the Giardini, a garden area built by Napoleon Bonaparte,
and the warehouses of the Arsenale are the epicenter of the event, which
draws artists from around the world. Exhibits spring up all around Venice's
labyrinthine canals, transforming it into a citywide gallery.

At this year's 55th Biennale, which opened June 1 and runs through Nov. 24,
the flagship exposition is the Encyclopedic Palace. It's named for a
never-realized museum that would have towered 2,300 feet over 16 city
blocks, which the 20th-century artist Marino Auriti aspired to build in
Washington, D.C., to house all the world's knowledge.

The Encyclopedic Palace is every bit as ambitious as it sounds, a show that
aims to examine the origins of artistic inspiration and the imagination
itself. With contributions from 150 individuals from 38 countries, it's
packed with installations, performances, sculptures, films, photos and
paintings by artists of every description: well-known and obscure, modern
and historic.

For this year's Biennale, we've prepared three mini-itineraries for Venice.
The first is for the art lover. The second is for those who crave something
new. The third is for the traveler looking to find a few stolen moments of
serenity in bustling, bellissima La Serenissima.

 

I 'art' Venice

What to do: The main must-see event is the Encyclopedic Palace at the
Giardini and the Arsenale, with 48 collateral events around the city
(labiennale.org). Don't miss the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
(guggenheim-venice.it) and the new Officina delle Zattere contemporary art
gallery, which opened in November (officinadellezattere.it).

Where to stay: To celebrate La Biennale, Bauers L'Hotel - set among Venice's
chicest shops, minutes from St. Mark's Square - has launched an exhibit of
works from Murano's Seguso Glass Factory, through Sept. 29. June doubles
from about $974. bauervenezia.com.

Where to eat: For a meal that is a work of art unto itself, head to
Ristorante Quadri. Max Alajmo - the youngest Italian chef ever awarded three
Michelin stars - took over this Venetian institution in 2011. In addition to
its elegant decor and enviable location on St. Mark's Square, the restaurant
offers innovative one-Michelin-starred cuisine focusing on fresh seafood
from the lagoon (alajmo.it).

 

What's new?

What to do: Last July, the Royal Palace flung open the doors to the restored
Imperial Apartments of Austria's Princess Sissi, which are now included with
a St. Mark's Square Museums ticket. Adult tickets are about $21.
correr.visitmuve.it/en/home.

You can cruise to St. Mark's and other key attractions along the Grand Canal
aboard the Vaporetto dell'Arte, a hop-on, hop-off water bus introduced last
June; tickets are about $31. Tack it onto a Tourist Travel Card, offering
additional land and water routes, for about $13
(actv.it/en/movinginvenice/movinginvenice).

Where to stay: Corte di Gabriela debuted last year and has already snagged
the top spot on TripAdvisor's Venice hotel rankings. This boutique property
boasts a wisteria-covered courtyard and modern amenities like an in-room
iPad and free Wi-Fi. June doubles from about $334 (cortedigabriela.com).

Where to eat: The minimalist, canal-side MQ10, serving coffee, cocktails and
casual meals, has been generating a positive buzz since opening in 2011
(Fondamenta Cannaregio 1020).

 

Serenity now!

What to do: Giudecca is a peaceful but convenient island outpost, just a
vaporetto ride from St. Mark's. Experience the hushed tranquility of Andrea
Palladio's 16th-century Church of the Santissimo Redentore (about $4,
chorusvenezia.org) or dip into the neo-Gothic Casa Dei Tre Oci, which opened
as an exhibition space in 2012. For La Biennale, the Casa will feature film,
photos and sculpture from former Eastern Bloc artists through Oct. 6.
(treoci.org).

Where to stay: The Hilton Molino Stucky, which began welcoming guests to
Giudecca in 2007, provides some blissful moments, soaking in the skyline
from the rooftop pool and bar or indulging in a treatment at the Wellness
Centre. Free ferry service to the San Marco and Dorsoduro districts. June
doubles from about $299 (molinostuckyhilton.com).

Where to eat: At Hotel Cipriani's Cips Club, dine beneath the stars on
summer evenings while drinking in views of St. Mark's Square across the
canal (hotel cipriani.com).

Amy Laughinghouse is a freelance writer in London.


Tony Patti
  
 <http://www.glassblower.info> www.glassblower.info
  
 <mailto:gaffer at glassblower.info> gaffer at glassblower.info

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