Venice Biennale
Posted on 8 June 2013
The A+O team, together with over 80 NZ patrons travelled to Venice for the 2013 Biennale and to support Bill Culbert at this unique event.
Bill Culbert's Front Door Outback is a revelation of light and form at the Istituto Santa Maria della Pieta which is just minutes from the Arsenale and Giardini site of the main Biennale Pavilions. Culbert's installation consists of five distinct spaces each of which features his unique way with light and ready made objects frequently domestic furniture or quotidian items. Word is obviously spreading as the exhibition has been the subject of some great reviews.
During the ten days in Venice, the A+O team have viewed 30 national pavilions in the Giardini, over 40 individual shows in the Arsenale, at least 25 national pavilions in wider Venice including numerous Collateral Events, taken in exhibitions at the Punta Della Doganna, Palazzo Grassi, Fondazione Prada, Ca Pesaro, Art Bestiary at the Natural History Museum, the magnificent Manet show... even enjoyed the view from the roof of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum (for more details, check out our daily report on our Facebook page).
We have also visited the NZ Pavilion on numerous occasions and enjoyed the hospitality and local knowledge of the Creative NZ and curatorial team. So that is a big thanks to Jenny Harper, Justin Paton, Heather Gailbraith, Jude Chambers, Sen Duxfield and crew. We have enjoyed spending time with all the 80 patrons who have travelled from near and far to support the NZ entry and bask in the glow of pride as New Zealand takes its place in the world. If you are reading this and wondering whether you could or should be a patron in 2015. The answer is YES. So a huge thank you goes to Leigh Melville and Dayle Mace for organising it all... And to Dame Jenny Gibbs for getting the ball rolling.
Finally to Bill Culbert thank you for representing NZ with such distinction and creativity. As we leave thousands of visitors are beating a path to the door of La Pieta to see Front Door Out Back.