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| Ismael Ivo |
(Venice, Italy) Ismael Ivo, the Director of the Dance sector of La Biennale, is the man swirling in blue. Those of you who read the Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog sidebars will know that Ismael was recently awarded the Republic of Brazil's highest cultural honor, the Ordem do Merito Cultural Brasil, the first time an interpreter of contemporary dance has been so recognized. I gave Ismael a cyber hug back then in December. On Friday, January 14, I had the pleasure of giving him a real hug at the press conference for Arsenale della Danza at Ca' Giustinian, Biennale di Venezia headquarters.
Arsenale della Danza means "Arsenal of the Dance," or "Dance Arsenal." It is a company of twenty-four young dancers that have arrived here in Venice to begin their master classes, which started on January 17 and run through May 15, 2011. The dance students come from all over the world -- 12 from Italy; the other 12 are from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Greece, Russia, plus five from Brazil -- and are the results of auditions last year in Venice, Italy, Vienna, Austria and San Paolo, Brazil.
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| The Arsenal by Francesco Guardi |
"Construction of the Arsenal began around 1104, during Venice's republican era.[1][2] It was the largest industrial complex in Europe prior to the Industrial Revolution,[3] spanning an area of about 45 ha (110 acres), or about fifteen percent of Venice.[1] ......By the 16th century, the Arsenal had become the most powerful and efficient shipbuilding enterprise in the world. Not only did it supply ships, rigging, and other nautical supplies, it was also a major munitions depot for the Venetian navy and was capable of outfitting and producing a fully equipped merchant or naval vessel in less than one day.
This is in stark contrast to the rest of Europe, where the production of a similar sized vessel could often take months. This amazing production capacity was a result of the massive amounts of people that the Arsenal employed, almost 16,000, and the streamlining of production within the Arsenal itself. ...Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the Arsenal was its employment of the moving assembly line. The galley itself, through the use of a canal, was moved along during its stages of construction, allowing the galley to be brought to the materials and workers, instead of the materials and workers going to the galley itself. This remarkable feature of the Venetian Arsenal was not seen again until the early 20th century when Henry Ford "invented" the modern assembly line.[12]"
Today, the Arsenale has morphed into a playground for artists and their international audiences. This is where La Biennale art and architecture exhibitions take place. Other spaces inside the enormous complex have been transformed into theaters for dance, music and theatrical productions. Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, an amazing space secreted far away from civilization, reached by a long, leisurely walk through the ghosts and phantoms of the ancient shipyard, is where Arsenale della Danza holds its master classes. This is the third edition of the program, and this year's theme is Body in progress.
There were some young dancers at the press conference on Friday, and it was thrilling to see that Ismael had actually manifested them right into Ca' Giustinian, La Biennale headquarters. When I first wrote about the auditions back in May, 2010 (click HERE to read Oxygen - Finally a Breath of Air!), the students were still in the ether. Now they are here in the flesh, with very cool hair.
Ivo says, "We can imagine the body as a unique orchestra that must play every part, exactly like the different musical instruments correspond to the full range of motion. But when the body-orchestra begins to tune its instrument to prepare for a symphony -- here is where experience is needed to prepare for a task so high. This is the moment when the dancer needs to know how to find the space and have the power to dispose of it, experimenting and honing skills that have already been acquired."
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| Paolo Baratta, Venetian of the Year |
Paolo Baratta, the President of the Venice Biennale, was also at the press conference. On Sunday, January 17, 2011, he was formally presented with the "Venetian of the Year" award for the year 2010, and it could not have gone to a more deserving individual. You don't have to be Venetian to receive this immense honor, but you do have to work selflessly, determinedly and against all odds for the good of Venice. The recognition is awarded by the Association Settemari in collaboration with the Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia, and it is now in its thirty-second edition. The vote was unanimous for Paolo Baratta for the following reasons:
"For having established and spread widely, with noble determination, the centuries-old presence of La Biennale in the life and urban fabric of the city, returning buildings and prestigious places, finally healed, to the community, and suggesting, with a far-reaching strategic vision, the destiny of Venice as a privileged global forum of art and culture. "
The ceremony was held in the Halls of Apollinee Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, in Campo San Fantin. Paolo Baratta made the following statement:
"I thank the Venetian friends who have honored me with this award, and with so flattering a motivation. I am particularly pleased because it is also indirectly a hug on the part of Venetians DOC to the Biennale, fully including it as a vital energy for the ambitious future of a city that lives up to its past. "There are so few real Venetians left in Venice that those who are here are referred to as Venetian "DOC." "DOC" stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which is a designation Italian wine gets for authenticity and quality. So we call a real Venetian, "Venetian DOC."
Paolo Baratta
President of the Venice Biennale
I have worked with La Biennale for more than ten years. I have watched Paolo Baratta at the center of this magical, mystical nebula filled with art, imagination, and creativity, whose vibrant energy wakes up old buildings and abandoned spaces around Venice. Contemporary thought mixed into an ancient labyrinth creates a dynamic that does not exist anywhere else on earth. Creators and innovators arrive from all corners of the planet, meeting kindred spirits full of vision and hope. Venice's destiny: a magnet for enlightened thinkers.Schedule for Biennale 2011
Arsenale della Danza - January 17 to May 15
Carnevale dei ragazzi - February 26 to March 8
Arti Visive - June 4 to November 27
Cinema - August 31 to September 10
Musica - September 24 to October 1
Teatro - October 10 to October 16
Ciao from Venice,
Cat
Venetian Cat- The Venice Blog
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