The Venice Biennale: history and culture

in #culture6 years ago

The Idea of organizing art exhibitions and author's installations came in the century before to one of the Italian consuls Riccardo Selvatico, who was a big fan of painting, sculpture and music. And in 1895 the Venice Biennale began to be held as an"international art exhibition". Many modernist artists, young talented painters and sculptors exhibited their paintings on it.

The Word "Biennale" came to Russian from Latin: "bis" — is translated as twice, and "annuus" — a year, Yes, and the exhibitions themselves are organized only once every 2 years (in every odd year).

Thanks to the Biennale, the world learned about Picasso and Renoir, pop art and abstract expressionism. In 1964, at the Venice exhibition, curious tourists and visitors to the country got acquainted with the work of Robert Rauschenberg, since pop art has received international recognition. And the lion of St. Mark - a symbol of Venice, became a worthy symbol of this holiday.


Venice symbol

And today the best participants of the Venetian exhibitions are awarded bronze, silver and gold statuettes depicting this strong and brave animal.

The first international exhibition was attended by outstanding and talented artists from only 16 countries. But much has changed since then: each country now has a separate pavilion. The thematic exhibitions devoted to the Person, Flowers, the Earth, time are opened...

At the Venice art exhibitions showing their work such Russian painters as: Mikhail Vrubel, Isaac Brodsky, Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, Boris Kustodiev and talented artists from around the world. Sorry, that's just that so far our members have earned such a magnificent lion, I hope is still to come.


"Golden lion" - the main award of the festival

The Venice Biennale is rightly considered a unique opportunity for artists and sculptors to acquaint foreign audiences with the traditions and culture of their countries. In 1930, the Biennale has already started to organize international festivals of theatre, music and cinema. Since 1975, Venice began to hold exhibitions of architecture.

Basically on similar actions there was no policy, however, on 38 Biennale (1977) devoted to dissidents and dissent, many works caused indignation of the Consul of the USSR, but it couldn't deprive public of creations: Oscar Rabin, Ilya Kabakov, Anatoly Zverev and Andrey Monastyrsky.

Of course, just to talk about a lot of interesting works from Venetian exhibitions of different years — it is impossible, but to note some liked me, I'll try. So, at the 53 Biennale his work was presented by the Russian artist Alexey Kallima. His installation is called "the rain Theorem" .

Such huge frescoes the artist creates fluorescent paints (they appear only in ultraviolet light). And special sensors turn off the UV light, is able to respond only to an approaching person. The audience remains as if in a white void. It is unusual to be in such a room, there is a need to understand what is happening, to comprehend the idea of the artist, Yes, and the name of the installation makes you think. The works by Alexei felt espectacularmente, which left an imprint on the state of contemporary art.


"Alexey kallim's rain Theorem"

At the 53rd Biennale for the first time held an international poetic intervention, which was attended by poets and writers from Greece, Austria, USA, Russia: Vasilis Amanatidis, Alfred Gubran , John high, Vadim Month, Lev Rubinstein, Anna Russ.

And many of you will remember the unusual work of the Israeli artist Shlomo, who decided to create a white floating installation against the backdrop of the Venetian lagoon of San Giorgio island.


Shlomo "riding" on his installation

In 2011 at the 54 Biennale one could see the work of Ukrainian artist Oksana Mas made of painted Easter eggs. Its installation was called "Post-vs-Proto-Renaissance" . This work has become a real rethinking of Flemish frescos (the installation consists of more than 3 million wooden eggs).

A few years later, at the 56 Biennale, the audience saw an exhibition of works by Azerbaijani artists. Their pavilion was located in one of the most beautiful palaces of Venice of the XIV century — Piazza Santo Stefano. Here you can see pictures: Ashraf Murad, Tofiq Javadov, Rasim Babayev and others.


one of the halls of the Azerbaijani pavilion

Many visitors were simply stunned by the paintings of nonconformists. Today their call true titans spirit. These artists consciously hold contradictory views, they all have an opinion, because, perhaps, and the installation has been completed too different from other contemporary compositions.


installation of Azerbaijani masters

This year the 57th Venice Biennale was held under the motto "Viva arta viva" (Long live art). This exhibition, which was held from may 13 to November 26, was focused on the artist and his world, and became a real asset for fans of postmodern.

To Italy arrived - 120 authors from 89 countries. For almost six months Venice has become an art center of international culture and contemporary art.

Admirers of the beautiful noted the work of German artist Anne Imhof and curator of the exhibition Susanna Pfeffer, who created original synthetic installations, including architecture and performance, painting and sculpture. In their theatrical representation was involved even Dobermans.

Every day a real performance called "Faust"took place under the glass floor of one of the pavilions. The participants of this performance, trying to get out of the glass and suddenly, as if frozen in the form of living sculptures... The installations were very impressive, I would say ultramodern, see for yourself. I found a video on the channel "VernissageTV" on YouTube.

Probably many of you have already seen the famous hands of the Italian artistLorenzo Quinn - an amazing bright installation called "Support" (past which you will not swim necessarily — a photo in memory).


by Lorenzo Quinn

So, the artist encourages all mankind to think about global warming. Because, as you know, Venice is threatened by flooding. We need to do something urgently to prevent it. The sea every year captures new territories...

Let's Look at an installation by American artist James Lee Byers, which was installed on one of the squares of Venice. In this building, the artist tried to reflect the rapprochement of Eastern and Western cultures, and most tourists could contemplate this original creation from different parts of the city.


twenty-meter James Lee Byers gilt tower

From the works of French masters, I especially liked the installation of < strong>Xavier Vejan, which offered numerous viewers an exposition of interesting works called "Studio Venezia".

In the French pavilion, a recording Studio was mounted, destroyed by some natural disaster, in which Xavier played unusual homemade instruments. Amazing design created by the artist, sometimes it was banal, but at the same time acted as a kind of marker symbols. His installations were laid on a special meaning, to understand which was not every. And you have an Association, looking at it?


install Xavier Vaiana

A Argentine artistClaudia Fontes presented a very impressive installation called "horse Problem". This idea was inspired by the picture angel Della Valle, which was called " the Return of the Indian RAID." In Argentina, this picture is very popular.

See for yourself what a stunning three-dimensional image of the horse, like a fantastic snow-white vision in front of you. A huge animal standing on its hind legs in front of a small female figure, very impressive!


Claudia Fontes installation "horse Problem"

But the Russians, the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution decided to update it on their updated site — the renovated Palace on the Zattere. There were many works of avant-gardists, who seemed to enter into a dialogue with the works of contemporary authors.

Mikhail Tolmachev brought to Italy a photo archive of the Solovetsky camp, and guests of Biennale were treated with candies from Taus Makhacheva made in the form of the head of the grandfather Lenin. < strong>Grisha Bruskin presented his work entitled "change of scenery". This multi-figure installation of hollow papier-mache and plaster sculptures has become a classic of contemporary art.


Grisha Bruskin's installation "changing scenery"

In Front of visitors there is a whole city: sometimes strange, because it consists of one towers and pyramids, often found and ziggurats, near which there is a theatrical action. Looking at this installation, it seems that time has stopped, and all archaic and modern merged together.

there is a wish to tell about the Venetian exhibitions more and more: to show surprising installations, to consider photos, sculptures, to analyze new directions in painting, architecture, but also not to forget to prepare for Biennale 2019 :)

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как всегда Светлана, замечательный и очень информационный пост!

Спасибо большое! Я старалась ))

Thank you for the great pleasure!

Always happy to have you. I will write frequently about interesting things )
Go to the VOICE. In Russian writing easier for me ))

У вас есть account на ГОлосе?
Заходите в гости ко мне - https://golos.io/@singa

Буду вам очень рада! Сегодня у меня юбилей


уже год как на Голосе! ))

Congratulations! I don't have an account there. I initially made my choice only for Steemit. I have many friends in different countries. I like to be here. I went there a long time ago out of interest, but I didn't like the relationship there. In any case, I am very glad that we met and communicate with you here. Thank You @singa

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