EAST MEETS WEST IN THE PAST AND PRESENT

Datin Shalini Ganendra explores the magical face of incomparable, artistic Venice.

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Venice has, for centuries, maintained its standing as a confluence between East and West, the past and contemporary, and more recently, the artisanal and the abstract.  When the Guggenheim invited me to the VIP Preview Program for: V. S. Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life early last month at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, it was an opportunity not to be missed; it was a rare chance for an inside peek into Venetian aesthetics, engagement and, of course, the Biennale- a whirlwind of activity ensued with informed conversations, presentations, tours, varied aesthetics and a constant, energising sense of discovery.

Insights extended to the landmark Gaitonde exhibition, the Biennale projects as well as to the Venice collections.  Observations shared at the formal dinner for 60 and lunch for a smaller party were equally dynamic, with major collectors, curators, museum directors, artists  all having a say. No one was shy.

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Critic Holland Cotter has written that VS Gaitonde was an artist “who looked westward, eastward, homeward and inward to create an intensely personalised version of transculturalism.” The paintings are stunning – visions of silence, reflecting a deep and uncompromising understanding of process and self. The intimate rooms of the Peggy Guggenheim served as the perfect backdrop for this show. To enhance, we were treated to a viewing of Sunil Kaldate’s film, V.S. Gaitonde, which tracks an older and ailing Gaitonde, and provides a hint of what his personality might have been. (Gaitonde died in 2001.)

The Venice exhibition included the valuable, inaugural showing of black and white images of the artist in action – painting,  taken at the Chelsea Hotel, New York, in 1965, by a relatively unknown photographer. The story goes that after the Gaitonde opening in New York last year and the flurry of related press, the (now 80 year old) photographer contacted the Guggenheim curators to share that he had more than 2,000 images of this artist at work. (Gaitonde came to New York for one year on a Rockefeller Foundation grant). The find was a gold mine of archival importance since there is little documentation on Gaitonde’s work process. The images are beautiful, showing a smiling but focussed artist preparing, painting, reworking, pausing and reworking again.  Mesmerising, energetic and elegant.

The Gaitonde show is the first featuring an Indian artist, travelling from the Guggenheim in New York to the Peggy Guggenheim, Venice – such is its importance.  Reengagement with this artist, little known in the West, urges us to think and debate on the larger, global narrative of art history. It is opportune that we started that dialogue in Venice and hope now for the inclusion of more worthy Asian artists in the mainstream art narrative.

Having feasted on the visual variety of Gaitonde’s canvases, I snuck away to see Biennale programming off the beaten track, including: Becoming Marni,  a site specific installation commissioned by the fashion brand, Marni, occupying spaces of the San Gregorio Abbey (usually closed to the public). The commission consists of one hundred wooden sculptures created by Brazilian self-taught artist Véio, placed around the cloister and inside the rooms of the San Gregorio Abbey, with recordings of chirping birds, tides and subtle sensory lighting. A funky and soulful tribute to Marni’s 20th anniversary and distinctive style.

Given my interest in emerging regions, I had to visit the Cyprus and Azerbaijan Pavilions. Cyprus featured Two Days After Forever, a solo presentation by artist Christodoulos Panayiotou. I found it very tactile, simple and clean.   Azerbaijan’s project, in complete contrast, is busy to the point of distraction, with bursts of colour and cheap materials, juxtaposed against ornate palazzo interiors.

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The Palazzo Fortuny collection, with an extensive and eclectic international collection spread out across three loft floors, has an elaborate stage set atmosphere. The collection is set off against swathes of fabric backdrop, created by Fortuny himself in the early 20th century. Here, one may find  Anish Kapoor and El Anatsui, along with more sensibilities, creating  an elegant balance of shape, form, colour and movement. For example, a swing delicately balancing a glass of water, rises  up to window level and back again – seemingly for eternity, without losing a drop.

My place of retreat, the Centurion Palace boutique hotel, part of Small Luxury Hotels, added more art lustre.  The Centurion, with a delightful private garden and waterway to boot, is centrally located in the historical “Palazzo Genovese” and a stone’s throw away from the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Art aficionados would certainly appreciate the lovely location, wonderfully tucked away from the crowds but within arm’s distance from them.   As an art hotel, each of its 50 rooms makes a unique design statement, incorporating funky and/or austere Italian details that complement the waterways and ancient rooftop views outside.

Water, water everywhere with art and more art – beauty worthy just to share.

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