Ganesha in Venice
The Italian artist Felipe Cardena called this work of his ‘The last crisis of this crazy, crazy world’. The Hindu gods are well represented in it. Apart from the popular Ganesha, there is Vishnu and also a small Shiva. They are in the company of some iconic figures – political, religious, revolutionary, terrorist, … – of the 20th and 21st century. I recognize Gaddafi, Osama bin Laden, Che Guevara, Pope John Paul II, Barak Obama, and some others whose names I don’t know, like the good-looking girl carrying an enormous weapon. All of them are portrayed against a background of colourful flowers, sweet and candy like, which does fit the popular Hindu gods well, but is in contrast with the public images the other figures represent.
We are living in a crazy, crazy world, to that I can agree with the artist. That this world can frighten us – and make us search for our lover’s hand in support – yes, I share this feeling. But that we are confronted in this art work, or in the real world, with the last crisis of this crazy world, that I don’t see. Not the latest crisis, let alone the last.
Photo of the week: The last crisis of this crazy, crazy world – by Felipe Cardena, Venice Biennale, Italy 2011
καιρός remembered 
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