VENICE INSIGHT by publisher Karin Sawetz June 2011
Karin Sawetz is journalist, media researcher and fashion scientist (Mag. Dr. phil.).

"Is the Frog King on Twitter?"

...asks the visitor on the video (right) into the webcam of the installation 'Frogtopia - Hongkornucopia' by the Hong Kong (China) artist 'Frog King' in the exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) during the 54th Biennale di Venezia.

When I have visited the art space, I haven't seen the webcam - and until now I haven't found myself on a video in the internet. My whole attention was targeted to the man you can see on this page, a man styled in a pink flower dress and posing very nice into the cameras - everybody loved him for his good mood. But this was only the beginning of the 'action'. The guest in flower-dress (a Japanese artist) invited spontaneously the Frog King (in his own exhibition space!) to a performance. The people around had been excited and encouraged the two men to pose in front of their cameras.

This work was the friendliest human-art-interaction I have experienced during my tour through the Arsenale and Giardini of the 54th Biennale di Venezia on 1st June 2011. By leaving the space, they invited me with a hand-written card to the 'Hong Kong Opening' on 2nd June between 5 and 7 pm; but at that time I was already back in Vienna.

Read other reports about the 54th Biennale in Venice: 'Art bags', 'Art in Venice'.

fig.: The man in flower-dress gave me after the performance the folder 'The Group 1965 - We are boys!', a Japanese art group which is now on exhibition at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (until 3 July). On the right picture you can see the Frog King.

Other 'fashion'-views on the 54th Biennale di Venezia:

"From where have you got this bag?" Tour through the 54th Biennale di Venezia by following the style of the individual bags of the country pavilions...

"Where is the 'Louis Vuitton'-pavilion?" I took the seat beneath a woman and started talking about the pavilions...

Digital media artist in a plastic suit ...another part screened the documentation of the plastic suit performance '30 Days of Running in the Place' with the artist in his especially designed 'sweat-suit' sitting in front of a laptop...

Solidarity bag in Venice; Insight by publisher Karin Sawetz Unfortunately I couldn't take a photo from the red-white-red bag with my own camera. Back in Vienna, I have received images from the Kunsthaus Bregenz (Austria) which distributed 5.000 'Ai Weiwei'-solidarity bags at the 54th Biennale di Venezia...

Venice Insight by publisher Karin Sawetz: 'What Women Want(?)' ...is the title of an exhibition during the 54th Biennale di Venezia which I won't show but bespeak picture-less. I will explain my decision why I don't publish the images.

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