'Biennale Venice 2013' series by Karin Sawetz, publisher Fashionoffice
Insights into La Biennale di Venezia 2013

...quasi 'seen' at Jeremy Deller's room Nr. 2 with the title 'We sit starving amidst our gold - Venice, Italy, 1 June 2011' at the British Pavilion at this year's La Biennale di Venezia 2013. The room shows a painting of a man who is holding a yacht in his hands. The man with grey beard is textile designer and socialist William Morris. And the yacht refers a view-blocking water vehicle at Venice at the start of the Biennale two years before in 2011.

Yes, I remember the blue yacht in front of the Arsenale two years before at the Biennale in 2011! Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's yacht moored prominently in front of the Arsenale and blocked the sight to the sea; a security fence around the landing place narrowed the promenade for walkers. I remember that I thought: "This is almost ridiculous!" At this year's La Biennale di Venezia, the sight-blocking yacht is part of British artist Jeremy Deller's view on British society and its cultural, socio-political and economic history. (Find an interview with Jeremy Deller about the art work on guardian.co.uk.)

I hope the image at Jeremy Deller's 'English Magic' exhibition at the British Pavilion doesn't encourage other billionaires for view-blocking parking in front of the Arsenale to enter prominently the art world.

fig. original: 'We Sit Starving Amidst our Gold' painted by Stuart Sam Hughes at Jeremy Deller's 'English Magic' at the British Pavilion during La Biennale di Venezia (1 June - 24 November 2013). Photo by the British Council; Jeremy Deller's British Council commission is at La Biennale di Venezia until 24th November and will tour national UK venues in 2014; britishcouncil.org/visualarts.

Jeremy Deller (portrait photo) created rooms which capture society's magical weaving made of warp threads from music (David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust tour in 1972-73), lifestyle objects like cars and weft threads of political movements (civil rights movements at times of Ziggy Stardust). The rooms are numbered and each of them is dedicated to historical events. Jeremy Deller's 'English Magic' art works are made by various artists such as the painting of the man with yacht by Stuart Sam Hughes or the image of a hen harrier and a Range Rover entitled 'A good day for cyclists' by Sarah Tynan.

Source: Original article with images on https://www.fashion.at/culture/2013/biennalevenice-magical-weaving6-2013.htm.

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