καιρός remembered

One of the nice things of the Italian pavilion at the 2011 Biennale in Venice was the continuity one experienced when stepping out of the exhibition venue into the different nooks and corners of this always enchanting city. Both inside and outside one felt surrounded by the same mixture of folkloric frivolity and renaissance seriousness. This may be a characteristic feature of Italian culture, permeating art, politics, religion and daily life. The photos I’m showing here are more of the frivolous, folkloric type.

This last photo deserves more focused contemplation. What is happening here? Is the begging woman comparing her own misery with the suffering Christ on the postcard? Is she asking for help while reminding the passers-by of their Christian duty of charity? Is she cleverly trying to sell her case by offering the generous alms givers eternal redemption, by courtesy of Jesus Christ? Having just come out of the Italian pavilion with its notable – at least in number – artistic expressions commenting on Christ and Church, it is tempting to see the gesture of the woman as a manifestation of performance art. One, moreover, that’s giving more food for thought than the art works in the exhibition.

Even if the Biennale itself can sometimes be disappointing, it doesn’t matter: the treasure-house of Venice easily makes up for it.

Photo of the week: Venice, Italy, 2011