Venice Art Biennale: Nathalie Djuberg, Lacasapark’s Top 5

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Nathalie Djuberg represents Germany. ( Garden)

Check out a footage of her films of this installation , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZaLNNYjOzk

There are 2 parts in this installation. One part is the moving short films that are made with clay characters. And the other part is the actual space filled with over sized botanical porcelain flowers to run the films. I would think the viewers experience and the total visual effect would be quire different if the films were showing in the empty minimal room with a few chairs.( like many do) This is our number 1 pick out of the entire show. The films are excellent!

Venice Art Biennale: Bertozzi & Casoni, Lacasapark’s Top 5.

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Bertozzi and Casoni represents Italy. ( Arsenal)

Venice Art Biennale:Tian Tian Wang, Lacasapark’s Top 5

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Tian Tian Wang represents China. (Arsenal)

Massive scale of herb or fruit called Buda’s hand.

53rd Art Biennale in Venice: Raquel Paiewonsky, Lacasapark’s Top 5

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Raquel Paiewonsky: respresnts Domenican Republic. (Arsenal)

53rd Venice Art Biennale

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The 2 main places that are housing the 53rd Venice Art Biennale are the Arsenal and the Garden. This has been typical format to hold all that art exhibits during the Biennale but there are also other many smaller venues through out the Venice you can go and check out. Pretty much my general 2 cents about the shows is “superb” and “inspiring”. Of course there are better ones than others but the juxtapose of world wide recognized contemporary modern arts and the one of the most antique city as a blank canvas to present the Biennale is quite beautiful and clever.

The Main entrance to the Arsenal. The ticket price for the adult is 18 Euro to see both the Arsenal and the Garden and other many little places are for free.

Pop up espresso bars.

Arsenal as back ground…

Arrival by Water Taxi: Venice

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Yes, that’s our Water Taxi! Yabadoo!

Our room with a view to the canal.

Trulli: Alberobello, Italy

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Trulli is one of 2 very important old architecture styles( the other one is Masserie) to build homes only can be found in Taranto, Brindisi and Bari area of Puglia in Italy which dates back to almost 5000 years ago. You can see still many Trulli style homes in a town called “Alberobello”, which means a “beautiful tree” in Puglia. I have traveled so many towns and cities of Italy, but Trulli is definitely different from anything I have seen so far. The yearly white washed round structured walls and beautifully stacked up grey stone cone shaped roofs make quite a curious and enchanting vibe. They are usually small and not too tall yet earth quake safe and cool for the summer and warm for the winter.

The inside of cone shaped roof.

The town Alberobello has been assigned to be a UNESCO sight in 1996 with a title” World Heritage Town”.

Check out this photo gallery for more photos of Trulli, http://www.pbase.com/antorug/image/85955460

Each roof would have this fancy little detailed pinnacles. Rounded, pointed, star shaped, cross shaped, crescent shaped…. The tale of in the function of the pinnacles and the real reason for which dry stone walling was used, is that this technique was imposed for the pinnacles to be hooked with a rope and the cones could be dismantled quickly to avoid notoriously high taxation on new homes in old times.

The symbolic signs written on the roofs represent Solar symbols as well as flowers, doves, ships and even pierced hearts, that bring us back to a primordial, ancient and poor religiousness that looks for protection against the evils.

The Largest Trulli construction in the town. The Trulli church of Alberobello.

You will still see quite a bit of Trulli homes for use of storage in the farms or even a fancy B&Bs in the Puglia area. They are usually small constructions but like this church some of them are quite grand. You should go check it out yourself. It’s quite amazing.

Getting ready: Paris

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Montmartre, Paris

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I can’t deny the feeling of it being quite touristy at it’s heart, but once you start walking around the edge of it, you will find small town style old houses and cafes and also quite residential neighborhood with cute restaurants. Montmartre is only 10-15 minute walking distance from the hotel Amour where we stayed, so it was quite convenient.

The Church of Montmartre.

Place des Vosges: Square Vosages in Le Marais, Distirct 4.

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This is one of most beautiful Squares of Paris in one of most swanky areas, Le Marais. Marais is sort of mix of Soho and Lolita in NY toward the center of the area with impressive food, drink and grocery streets along the outer edge where main traffic is running. There are great small boutiques and art galleries near the square.

One of many bars along the square.