I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition “Ostalgia.” And it’s about time the New Museum finally got some kudos for a show. Stemming from a term that came about in the 1990s, the title describes “a sense of longing and nostalgia for the era before the collapse of the Communist Bloc.” In the struggle for people to [...]

“Otherworldly: Optical Delusions and Small Realities” at MAD is an entertaining exhibition. It investigates how technology changes viewers’ perception of images. The focus is international artists who make miniature worlds through the use of models akin to the dioramas people of my generation grew up making for their book reports. But these are much more [...]

Born in Tripoli, Fawad Khan has lived in Pakistan, Baltimore, and now New York. His environs tremendously impact his artwork; his oeuvre includes drawings with ink and gouache, paintings, wall drawings that incorporate video and installations.
His powerful work, which has most often included subject matter related to suicide bombings and the violence that has become [...]

In case you didn’t get enough of the Biennale through still images and my writing….
Here are two links to video footage of works I found interesting. It’s just like being there yourself. Enjoy!
Arsenale footage on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwAMBHk2vmg
Giardini footage on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSMCtcIYtwQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

These shows are from late May and early June that I didn’t want to get lost in the immensity of the Venice information. Though they are no longer up I wanted to share the work with you.
Walking in to a group show at Yvon Lambert I was pleasantly surprised to find a work by Zilvinas [...]

I continue to be impressed by the programming at the Park Avenue Armory. I made it to see this show by the skin of my teeth on the last day, June 11th. Previously unfamiliar with the artist, I was mesmerized by the hypnotic imagery and sounds of his installation. An electronic composer and video artist, [...]

The Padiglione Centrale is where a large portion of Bice Curiger’s curated show “Illuminations” can be found.
Upon entering the space, Gianni Colombo’s “Elastic Space” reminds me of Gormley’s recent “Breathing Room.” It is made of phosphorescent thread in rectangular forms. It glows in the pitch black room it is installed in and returns to the [...]

The Giardini

The British Pavilion got a lot of press for Mike Nelson’s work, “I, Imposter.” A recreation and expansion of the work he made for the 2003 Istanbul Biennial, Nelson transformed the pavilion into a maze of dilapidated rooms that transported the viewer. As one enters it feels like a real space, not an art [...]

The Arsenale
While the insanity of the Giardini occurred, I chose to begin my viewing at the Arsenale. This is where the large portion of the curated show by Bice Curiger is exhibited.
For the Biennale four artists were invited to create “para-pavilions” (Franz West, SongDong, Oscar Tuazon, and Monika Sosnowska.) These pavilions are large structures of [...]

Fondazione Prada at Ca’ Corner della Regina
While there were some lovely works on view, I was not wowed by this show. The exhibition highlights works Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli have selected from the Prada Foundation’s collection. Curated by Germano Celant the show includes contemporary art as well as a section with Italian Art from [...]