Bridge news and ...the Biennale
As I adumbrated in a previous blog, the Calatrava Bridge (a temporary name for the fourth bridge over the Grand Canal) is ready to be assembled in situ. 
The main span was towed up the Grand Canal three midnights ago and is now standing ready to be hoisted into place near Piazzale Roma. A lot can still go wrong which would be in keeping with this controversial project, but so far so good. In a week's time we will know more. Or should I say a month's time? After all we are in Venice, in Italy, and this is the holiday season, and this bridge has been plagued with problems. Keep your fingers crossed.
Biennale 2007
You may have heard of the Biennale of Venice, the bi-annual contemporary art show with 70 odd countries contributing. I visited it yesterday and below are some printable comments.
Outside the main entrance is a sculpture which symbolises the Bienalle. Clearly it represents the average Bienalle attendee hurling himself into the Venetian Lagoon having exited the exhibit. It could also represent the spirit of 21st century art extinguishing itself mercifully. A milder reading would have the art lover barfing into the lagoon.
Okay, what’s my beef? That the world thinks art has to be different, “original” above all else. You see the artist is a creator, it is said. But works of art need other components equally important and without which the originality becomes a gimmick. Paul Oskar Kristeller of Columbia University writes in Renaissance Thought and the Arts (Princeton Univ. Press, 1964, 1980), “In the field of art, originality is not a sufficient condition for artistic excellence. In the world of arts there are many works which are quite original, but not especially good and also works of limited originality that attain a high degree of artistic quality. There are other criteria than originality that may be used to judge a work of art…beauty, form, style, imitation of nature and of previous works of art, of intelligible essences, good taste, human relevance, emotional power, truthfulness, moral and social consciousness, playfulness, usefulness, entertainment, craftsmanship, and many other features…”
Kristeller writes “Hitler’s theory of National Socialism was certainly original, but hardly anyone would take that as an excuse for its violation of moral, legal, and political principles which are widely if not universally recognised…”
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This exhibit is from the Italian pavillion. To me it shows a modern office composed of glass partitions, stark white walls, soul-less grey carpet, and granite stones, all of which undoubtedly represents a 21st century office environment where workers (stones) have been reduced to this state by the incredible weight and oppression of capitalism and greed. The placement of the stones is everything, an artist told me. St Stephen?
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This from the Italian Pavillion, too. This was painted by someone with a French name and its title is in smallish letters at the bottom of the painting, "APRES 9/11". Thus, America has unleashed this devastating assault on humanity. Although, the Italian pavillion aside, it struck me that this year's Biennale was slightly less anti-America than previous years.
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Speaking of art. This painting is, too, from the Italians, many of whom have an anarchic streak. The country has a whole group of politically charged (anti-West, socialist, violent) youth, some camouflaged as students. These people are on government welfare, travel in large, nomadic groups, shepherding dogs and camp-followers, calling themselves "disobbedienti", grafitti-ing all of Italy with their moronic slogans: " No Laws!", "Open the Prisons!", you get the idea. Here their target seems to be Christianity ("wash it back to Galilee"), ranking right behind America in odiouness.
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This large model of an F-14 (?) Grumman plane with Christ thus affixed is in the Arsenale section of the Biennale. I neglected to register the artist's name. Forgive me. Is this predictable or what?
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Baggage under nooses. The German pavillion featured this very timely work. I say timely because Italy, especially, Roma,
but Venice, too, has been plagued with missing luggage at airports. Attributed to union rules, big attitude problems among baggage handlers, inferior management and poor controls. In addition, Alitalia alone loses tons of luggage daily on its own, with no help from airport ground staff. Getting back to art, hanging above the luggage are various stylised nooses, probably reflecting the passengers' thoughts about suitable punishment for the baggage handlers or about their own suicide. An artistic filip is that some of the nooses have small stuffed animals attached. Call it wit.
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Some turdart at the Arsenale. Now we're getting to the nub of it. A metaphor for the Bienalle? ...
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Egypt's exhibit actually created a sense of Egypt. Here is an imaginary votive or image of the Sun God in an idealised place of worship, using natural Egyptian materials. Bravo!
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BULGARIA...a witty and unpretentious effort trumpeting the great contributions Bulgaria has made to civilisation (I am not being ironic):
The Kalashnikov rifle (AKA the AK-47), the Cyrillic alphabet, and lactobacillus, which gives us yogurt... Bravo Bulgaria.
I also like how they refer to the Communist era as the "socialist" era which is useful when you hear fellow travellers and luvvies today talking about socialism. You see, the Bulgarians remember well the triumphs of socialism.
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Coda
Thus, you see the glory of the Biennale, this year, any year: politicised, anti-west, trendy, and crap art.
A few final observations:
Video was in 90% of the pavillions. Mind-numbing, repetitive, deafening, unoriginal pastiches which only some drug-crazed, unimaginative TV watcher on benefit and a government grant could have devised or be interested in.
Canada: Please tell me about sculptures of chickens (human sized) in suits and ties. Also, while you are at it, explain the model of a large owl in flight with the Star of David branded on its forehead. Great art can be baffling.
Speaking of baffling, four years ago I purchased the Biennale Catalog which is a rich lode of idiotic and pretentious ArtSpeak. Orwell would have loved it. On some slow evenings at home I would pluck it down from a shelf, although one does not pluck a two kilo book, and I would read aloud the rich explanations of some exquisite piece of art. It is very amusing, except for the taxpayer consequences mentioned in this blog. I was tempted to buy the catalog this year, but at 70 euro I resisted (also it weighs 2 KGs and I had a long trip home). So I will never know the Star of David's significance on the owl's forehead, alas.. Maybe it's Kabbalah?
Britain: My wife (English) did not accompany me to the Biennale, but if she did, she would not have enjoyed the Tracy Emins masturbatory extravaganza at the British Pavillion. My wife is going to London next week, and if she had opted to join me to see me the Best of British Art at the British pavillion, she would renounce her citizenship while in London.
USA: Boring. Lazy even. Also gimmicky. Entrance hall has a string of wires with 100 watt bulbs attached, trailing from the ceiling to the floor, culminating in a pile of lit bulbs...hunh? Two of the rooms each had a large stack of giveaway, poster size, abstract prints, predictably bad. But it was free, you see. At least visitors got something. But I am keeping my US citizenship.
Conclusion: The most revolting thing about this mess is that all this "art" is paid for out of public taxpayer money. The citizens of these countries should come here and see their tax dollar, peso, euro, pound at work. Subsidised "artists", sub-standard and ludicrous "art": the whole disaster is an embarassment, a scam and is the 21st century's Big Lie.
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