Great Churches

One of the amazing things about studying in Venice is the exposure to glorious architecture of various periods in history from Gothic to modern. Andrea Palladio, an architect who followed the neo-Classical style, incorporated the harmonious forms of ancient Greece and Rome in his design for the church Saint Giorgio Maggiore. The Benedictine church sits on the island of San Giorgio across the canal from San Marco.

The facade gleams with large white pilasters soaring above pedestals and the interior pulsates with arches. Neo-classicism marked a return to the rational and more serious side of ancient art as a backlash against the light and decorative qualities of the 18th century Rococo style.

Real Versus Simulation

Many of artists in the Venice Biennale explore the relationship between what is real and what is illusory. The idea that intrigues me as well. It encourages viewers to examine what is clear versus those aspects of life which are uncertain.

Although this larger than life-size figure is not part of the Biennale - she represents many artist who experiment with changes in scale and the simulation of reality. For example, German artist, Thomas Demand recreated a life-sized grotto out of cardboard and then photographed the installation setting up a intellectual dichotomy for viewers who are experiencing the real image of a simulation.