14 August 2013
When we walk into a museum or an art gallery we enjoy seeing the many works that surround us. Walking around, examining each piece and wondering what is the story behind it. As for La Biennale di Venezia pavilions you would think that the more the merrier but on the contrary, one piece is sometimes enough, or even one artist is all that the viewers needs to experience.
When I walked into Walking on Water, it made me want to stay there for hours, because of the way it made me feel. Everything in the world did not matter, all I wanted to do is sit there and let my mind travel in its own thoughts. Another example of the solo artist pavilion is the Argentinian pavilion ; you walk into it and have this full experience that makes you involved in the work itself.
There were other pavilions, where they featured three or more artists, and I did not feel the connection at all. For me it was confusing, for instance, once I am done with one artist and move on to the other I keep in mind that the next work will be related or have the same theme. But with the limited time you have as a visitor, you feel a sense of disconnection between the works, and the immersive experience you thought you would have is interrupted by the several different artworks that don’t relate to each other. The South African pavilion features many strong works, however, having 15 artists represented all in one exhibition doesn’t leave you with a single thought or feeling, but rather in a rush to see them all, and then try to connect the dots.
At the end of the day, we never know which art work will move us. Many pavilions chose to feature more than one artist and the works were good but personally I felt puzzled and confused. As for the pavilions featuring one artist, I felt a stronger connection.
