The Biennale

On a brisk yet beautiful Friday morning, my classmates and I ventured to La Biennale di Venezia for a contemporary art experience like I’ve never experienced before. Being an art history minor back at Purdue, I’ve taken many art classes where we’ve studied modern art and focused on the big names such as Picasso, Derain and Kandinsky. However, I have not had many opportunities to view the artwork of modern day contemporary artists, and especially never in the setting like the Biennale. With its beautiful, towering pavilions, the Biennale was somewhere I could have spent all day wandering and exploring every niche. Our guide took us to several exhibitions, including the United States of America national pavilion, where I was struck by the intensity and curiosity of contemporary art.

My favorite exhibition we visited was entitled “The Collectors”, the first ever collaboration of two national pavilions to create a single exhibition. The Danish and Nordic countries introduced us to Family A and Mister B through their barren homes littered with the mysterious remnants of their lives, loose ends dripping with loneliness and sorrow. Two broken homes, one haunted with pride and lust and the other shrouded in a mysterious layer of jaded love and family drama. This exhibition presented art in a new way- it allowed objects to tell the story, to hint to a puzzle that it was up to viewers to piece together. The idea that you can take a house, that alone speaks volumes about the characters that inhabit it by its basic architectural nature, and fill it with objects that are in no way of any artistic importance (books, condoms, a typewriter, a selection of DVD’s, a toilet and sink, pots and pans, a pair of keys thrown carelessly on the table) and it become a form of art is truly fascinating to me and speaks to what contemporary art is in general- thinking outside of the box. I would have never imagined of doing such a thing, and I’m sure many would not understand how it could be art until witnessing it with their own eyes. The entire showpiece is like the stage after a theater performance- the set and objects alone can tell you the idea of the play and the actions that recently occurred there. I saw the houses like a stage, and I found myself wanting to rewind and see the performance. I walked with other visitors into the homes of others while the true inhabitants were nowhere to be found.

Our guide explained to us the meaning behind the exhibition, as I previously mentioned, which was to explore the idea of expressing oneself through objects and investigating how everyday objects seem to speak to us. After viewing the exhibit, I began to think about how objects are the storytellers of our society. As I look around my temporary dorm room here on San Servolo island, I see my pile of DVD’s on my dresser that speak to my personality and tastes. My Italian book sitting on my bed tells of my recent endeavor to learn the Italian language. My stack of stationary with letters to loved ones back home at first glance show my love for family and friends and my value on keeping in touch with those far away. We have all had experiences when we walk into others apartments or houses to be unsurprised with the personality of the place. Typically, one’s home speaks to who they are as an individual. My eclectic friend Kendra lives in a purple paradise sparkling with bold colored polka dots, stuffed giraffes, and funky flowered pillows. My other friend Elyse has always reflected the “classic beauty” vibe and her room is vibrant with light pastels, and impressive art wall and Audrey Hepburn calendar, and a jewelry box full of lockets and brooches to decorate her simple yet elegant cardigans and sweaters.

Walking through the empty rooms of Family A and Mister B, I got to know them without ever meeting them. These exhibits reminded me of why I love contemporary art, that you can take such a simple idea and make such a powerful statement. Sometimes modern art can seem radical, disturbing or sometimes even useless, and void of the classical ideals and extravagant beauty that dominated classical artwork. However, many times if you look deep enough and give it a chance, modern art can surprise you. I saw the house of Mister B, with a man facedown in a pool outside, and thought “What is going on here?” But after going inside and exploring the home of this fictional individual, I came out with a smile and new way of looking at things (no pun intended).