As I said in Part 1, the Venice Biennale is thought of as the Olympics of the art world. It means that you can see art which would never normally cross your path. Where else can you see the work of artists from Uganda or Uruguay?

El Saludo

Persona

Gerardo Goldwasser is indeed a Uruguayan artist. Much of his work is about fashion and tailoring, the profession that saved his grandfather from death at Buchenwald. El saludo (The Salute) consists of 50 left sleeves pinned to the wall. It is complemented by Persona, huge rolls of felt with imprints of the garment pieces that will be cut from them. The work suggests regimentation, standardisation and authoritarianism. We think of our fashion choices as displaying our unique selves, our persona, but here we are confronted with another way of looking at it. Since a left arm would never be used for a salute, Goldwasser seems to be suggesting anti-authoritarianism, that we should not be acknowledging, ‘saluting’, consumer culture.

Bamutenda

Acaye Kerunen is a Ugandan artist who uses the work of Ugandan women, primarily mass-produced baskets, items of utility and low worth. The women are therefore also little valued, even though they are also active in protecting local habitats. The points the artist is making are to be applauded, but I found some of the work ‘unresolved’, that is, there was a germ of an idea that needed to be explored further.  She hasn’t gone far enough away from just putting some of the baskets together on the wall. However, in her best work, she strives to elevate mere craft to the status of art in pieces such as Bamutenda. Here there is a feeling of growth, a satisfying combination of colours and a play of textures.

Textile works by Rosemarie Trockel

Much more well-known artists were also in evidence at the biennale, including the German Rosemarie Trockel, who has often used fashion and textiles in her practice. She displayed enormous works which consisted entirely of plain knitting in one colour. Again repetition is used to create a rhythm, and we are drawn in to the texture of the pieces. We are all familiar with knitted garments, but many have never examined the structure close up. Trockel elevates the feminine low-status craft by framing it and enlarging it.

Piedaterra, Venice

Just being in Venice is a wonderful experience. The city is a fashion hub with all the high-end brands you would expect to find. But sometimes just an ordinary shop can look like an installation. One selling slippers caught my eye. There is art everywhere, if you care to look.