Joanne Shurvell: Venice

Joanne Shurvell: Venice - La bella Serenissima
12/4/12 6:36 PM
4 December 2012
Venice - La bella Serenissima
Posted: 23/10/2012 13:04
Regata Storica di Venezia, courtesy Paul Allen
2012
We visited Venice this autumn, to see the
architecture biennale, not that we ever need an
excuse to go to our favourite European city. By
happy coincidence, the biennale overlapped with the
Venice film festival so our trip was a visual feast with
a few excellent parties thrown in. We were fortunate
to see Faith, the award-winning second part of Ulrich
Seidl's Paradise trilogy about three women from the
same family on different quests. Paradise: Faith will
be released in the UK next year, along with the first
part of the trilogy -Paradise: Love (just shown at the
London Film festival).
Venice Film festival party on the Lido, courtesy
Paul Allen 2012
The architecture biennale runs until 25 November so there's still time to see this edition of the best in world architecture. Like
the art biennale which will open again next June, the architecture exhibition is in two main venues - the Giardini, the gardens in
the eastern part of the city housing the country pavilions and the massive Arsenale, a former shipyard. Highlights this year
came from Japan, the UK, Russia, Brazil and Spain.
Inside the Russian Pavilion in the Giardini, courtesy Paul Allen, 2012
With plenty of serious work to engage with, it was good to have fun as well - from pointing an ipad at the floor to ceiling tiles of
QR codes in the Russian pavilion to bouncing on a trampoline in the Spanish pavilion to peering through peepholes in the
Brazilian exhibition.
La Casa dei Tre Oci, Guidecca, courtesy Paul
Allen, 2012
Outside of the two main venues of the biennale are
plenty of free and often excellent exhibitions. The
Taiwanese exhibition on the Grand Canal is
definitely worth a look. A large corrugated cardboard
construction of a typical Taiwanese apartment with
ceiling hangings meant to look like glass noodles
make for a powerful walk-in installation. A short
vaporetto ride to Guidecca Island took us to the
fantastic La Casa dei Tre Oci (house of three eyes)
recently reopened by Fondazione di Venezia to
show contemporary art. The current show, The Way
of Enthusiasts, a Russian group show looking at
failed architectural experiments, is interesting but the
real reason to visit is to see the neo-Gothic building,
once the home of Renzo Piano (the architect of
London's Shard).
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Joanne Shurvell: Venice - La bella Serenissima
12/4/12 6:36 PM
Taiwanese Pavilion, Grand Canal, courtesy Paul
Allen 2012
We stayed at two five star hotels and one mid-range
hotel - and we'd recommend each for different
reasons. The Charming House on the Querini
Stampalia square behind Piazza San Marco has
only 4 rooms but each chic suite has contemporary
artwork by local artists on the walls and all the
modern conveniences you'd expect in a boutique
hotel. On the other side of the grand canal is the
luxurious Ca Maria Adele, with its lush decor, pretty
terrace overlooking the canal, and excellent location
beside the Salute cathedral and vaporetto stop. And
in the same area, we also stayed in the Hotel Agli
Alboretti, behind the Accademia galleries. The hotel decorated in a 19th century nautical theme is a good budget choice.
Entrance to The Charming House, courtesy Paul Allen 2012
Film festival parties provided much of our food and drink but a trip to Venice wouldn't be complete without a visit to our
favourite restaurant - the Osteria Oliva Nera in the Castello area not too far from St Mark's Square but miles apart from the
usual fare you'd find there. Owners Isabella and Dino make everyone feel welcome while serving up delicious Venetian dishes
like Sarde in soar (Sardines), stuffed Zucchini flowers and a wide range of local fish and seafood.
Watch this space for more tips on our favourite hotels and restaurants on our next trip to Venice for the art biennale in June
2013.
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