First and foremost – WOW, you all! You are more than 700 here and I am surprised, happy, grateful and humbled; thank you for subscribing – I hope you will not be disappointed.
Second, this last month has been the most intense in my professional life ever, I feel. Back in 2018, when studying at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, we went to the architectural edition of La Biennale di Venezia; I then returned in 2019 with my mum for the famous Ralf Rugoff edition, May You Live In Interesting Times. I was absolutely mesmerised and stunned; I wished I’d very much love to come back as part of the event, not just as a viewer. My dream became reality this year.
The agency I work in, Pelham Communications, takes care of 5 projects during the Biennale: pavilions of Australia (Golden Lion winner!!!), Finland, Saudi Arabia (my client), Wadi AlFann and Pinchuk Foundation showcases. I joined the Saudi pavilion team in January and things accelerated weekly with various press releases, constant pitching, follow ups, interviews with the curators and artist. In early April we were extremely hyped up pre-Venice, but a great chunk of work has already been done, which was amazing and a great learning for me on how to tackle such projects. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time, managed to see a lot beyond my pavilion and would go back in a wink, despite colossal emotional and physical exhaustion. Yes, I am aware I am not mining coal, but still one has to acknowledge that such huge visual and emotional impact, combined with constant rushing through the city, has its toll on one. I am drained and I loved, loved, loved it. I want to do more in Venice, do more at La Biennale. This is manifesting, peeps! In the meantime, here’s my feature on the Biennale for you to use Google Translate with, if you don’t speak Russian. Spoiler alert: I think the curatorial treatment of the theme wasn’t successful, but some pavilions are truly outstanding.
My husband took our daughter away for her Easter break which was the exact two weeks pre-Venice, and it was a blessing. I worked like crazy, but enjoyed solitude and went to an insane amount of opera, theatre and visual art shows. Some were great, some not that amazing, but I will give you a list below of what’s not to miss if you are in London. I’ll also list my highlights of Venice collateral programming for you – exhibitons and interventions that are so worth a visit while you’re there ( I know many of you will be!). Allora, London first, Venice second, here we go!
WHAT NOT TO MISS IN LONDON
The Picture of Dorian Gray, with Sarah Snook (Siobhan "Shiv" Roy from Succession) playing over 20 parts in this technology-sprayed one-woman show. An absolute gem of contemporary theatre and a tribute to the thespian craft. Snook is a mind-blowingly versatile actress, and her recent Olivier award for this role is very, very much well earned. It is so good that I am going for the second time and taking my usually theatre-hating husband with me – I know that THIS he will like. Hurry up as it ends in the first decade of May.
Long Day’s Journey Into the Night, with Brian Cox (anothher Succession star, Logan Roy in the series) and Patricia Clarkson. I’ve never read this Eugene O’Neil’s seminal work and in a way am glad I haven’t as the play fully enveloped me. For those who don’t know the plot, I won’t spoil it, but do go experience this story of a family unraveling in a space of one day. Brian Cox is good and solid but a bit Brian-Coxey, while Patricia Clarkson showcases a huge range of artistic prowess, going from happy to desperate – but I won’t say more. Go see it; it’s on until 8 June.
Everyone is raving about the Entangled Pasts show in the RA – and it very conveniently ends today! I am rushing to see it later and you can too; apparently it’s a very thorough and honest unpacking of the RA’s own colonial practices, a good archival work - let’s see, shall we?
WHAT NOT TO MISS IN VENICE
City of Refuge III, Berlinde de Bruyckere, Abbazia di San Giorgio Maggiore. Oh my god, you all, this is a stunner. De Bruyckere works with the themes of body, death, fear; uses wax, wood, wool to create her horrifying and beautiful creatures stemming from Flemish masterpieces. In this showcase she studies the relationship between sacred and mundane, architectural and sculptural, eternal and terminal – I was mesmerised, I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to ponder over her headless archangels erect under the baroque ceiling of the Abbazia forever. Many people are raving about Pierre Huygue’s Liminal show in the Punta della Dogana (nice, but if you’ve seen one Huygue, you’ve seen it all – and I have previously), but to me de Bruyckere’s show was so much stronger. Luckily it’s on until the Biennale’s end, so please do go catch it if you’re in Venice between now and mid-November.
A very happy and colourful survey of Willem de Kooning’s Italian pieces in Galleria dell’Accademia, titled Willem de Kooning e l’Italia. Apparently de Kooning’s been in Italy twice and this compact collection of joyful paintings punctuated with his often satirical bronzes and drawings is the result of the artist’s enamourment with the country and its palette.
An absolutely insane Monte di Pietà show by the ever-provocative Christoph Büchel in Fondazione Prada. Büchel is known for his often controversial large-scale installations: transforming an old church into a mosque for the 2015 Venice Biennale and displaying a shipwreck from a migrant tragedy at the 2019 Venice Biennale, both stirring significant debate. For this year’s edition the artist took over Fondazione Prada’s palazzo and transformed it into a giant pawn shop. This total installation delves into the themes of debt and value, utilizing the historic context of its venue, the Ca’ Corner della Regina. Historically a pawn bank, the location is a backdrop for Büchel's exploration of economic and cultural narratives surrounding debt. The exhibition features tons of artifacts, from paintings, to old TV sets to cheap jewellery to Prada garments, to old bicycles - you name it, they’ve got it. It’s pierced with contemporary artworks, including "The Diamond Maker," where Büchel transforms organic matter from his unsold artworks and his own feces into lab-grown diamonds, in a critique of the art market's materialism. It’s an exemplary showcase of hoarding, greed, poverty, economic failure and vanity; I was amuzed and entertained at first, but left with a profound sense of despair.
I thought I’d be unable to look at art for at least a month after Venice, but have already gone to a couple of previews this week and will now dash to the RA, with husband and child in tow. Thank you for being with me, hope you’re well – see you next week or so!
Bien à vous,
Anastasia.