Art in Venice

Whilst on holiday in Venice this summer I went to visit the exhibition by Damien Hirst, entitled: Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, on display in the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana contemporary art museums.

A selection of photos from the Damien Hirst exhibition.

Having read glowing reviews and heard friends rave about the exhibition, I knew I had to go and see it for myself, and it didn’t disappoint. I deliberately tried to avoid reading too much detail about it beforehand, wanting to reserve judgement and experience the awe and spectacle without too much foresight. However, I knew the basic premise, which tells of a shipwreck discovered off the African coast in 2008. Ostensibly, Hirst financed the salvation of the shipwreck himself, and the sculptures and objects we see on display are the opulent bounty uncovered from the deep.

Made from materials such as gold, silver, marble and bronze, the artworks on display are a surreal combination of familiar icons, mythical creatures and detailed trinkets, many of which are covered in aquatic growths, meant to indicate the years spent festering under the sea. The sense of scale alone was impressive, both in terms of the size of some of the pieces, and in terms of the sheer number of objects. Comprising almost two hundred separate items, it’s clear to see why this exhibition was ten years in the making.

So the story goes, the wrecked ship belonged to a freed slave, named Cif Amotan II, which is an anagram of ‘I am fiction’. This thread becomes evident whilst walking amongst the sculptures, and the line between what’s real and what’s not is constantly challenged. Of course, the whole concept is made-up, but it’s easy to forget, despite the wackiness of many of the pieces. The story is so convincingly told that you want to believe it, against your better judgement.

Some of my favourite parts were the detailed bits of coral and sea plants attached to the larger pieces, particularly in relation to my summer project ‘Floral Geometry’. While the overall impact was often staggering, I found it most interesting to look closely at the detail and craftsmanship of the sculptures. Many of my own designs involve intricate line work so taking time to look into all the nooks and crannies is something I try to do when looking at artwork.

In some parts the exhibition wandered into the truly absurd, displaying, for example, a golden transformer or a bronze Mickey Mouse. These pieces, as well as some others seemed slightly discordant to me when I was actually looking around, but after coming out of the show and thinking about it for a while, they made more sense as part of a show which was meant to be weird, jarring and totally out of the ordinary.

I can understand why this exhibition has been so divisive. Is it a subversive comment on the meaning of reality in a ‘post-truth’ age? Or a tacky and ostentatious display of wealth? I think it might be a bit of both, but either way, I found it spectacular to experience and I’m really pleased I was able to see it and make that judgement for myself.

Whilst in Venice I also made sure to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and the Venice Biennale, both of which were fantastic. As a big fan of modern art, I was very excited to see the huge variety of work housed in the Guggenheim, by artists including Klee, Mondrian, Picasso, and one of my favourite sculptors, Constantin Brancusi. As well as this, the beautiful gardens provided me with lots of floral inspiration.

Photos from the Biennale and a Sculpture by Barabara Hepworth in the Garden of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.

Spread across the whole city, it would have been impossible to see or review every part of the Biennale. However, the parts I was able to see were really interesting. I particularly enjoyed the French pavilion, which had been transformed into a recording studio, interpreting the idea of a studio as a workspace for both artists and musicians. Italian-American artist Lorenzo Quinn’s sculpture of two giant hands holding up a building along the Grand Canal was really though provoking and impactful.

Whilst in Venice I also visited the Gallerie dell'Academia, Saint Mark's Basillica, the Doge's Palace and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, all of which were fascinating sources of historical and religious art and architecture, which I am really interested in.