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Red Line by Doron Gazit - Photo: Cat Bauer
(with thanks to photographer Manfredi Bellati for designing the composition) |
(Venice, Italy) Until September, the first thing you will see when you approach Villa Barbaro is a shocking red tube splashed across the front of the meadow, woven through the branches of dead trees. It is the work of environmental artist
Doron Gazit, who draws red lines, not with a pencil, but with long red tubes.
In November 2018, Northern Italy was ravaged by storms and winds that
razed 14 million trees -- trees that once provided the lumber to build the
ships of the Republic of Venice. It was a devastating blow to the
ecosystem. As a long-term Californian and Israeli, Gazit is on the leading edge of the struggle against environmental degradation, and uses his works as bright exclamation points. "It is the blood of the trees that died."
The installation is the eye-catching intro to
Casa di Vita - Armonia del tempo, the first contemporary art
show at Villa Barbaro, the historic Palladian masterpiece in Maser designed by
Andrea Palladio with frescoes by Paolo Vernonese and sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria, each man working at the top of his game. Part of the
ArtLife for the World
project, and curated by Simonetta Gorreri Casini in collaboration with
Giovanna Poggi Marchesi and Villa di Maser, the contemporary exhibition is a dynamic
interaction between past and present
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| Ancient & Contemporary art meet at Villa Barbaro - Photo: Cat Bauer |
The ongoing project of ArtLife for the World is to install great works of environmental art in historical venues throughout the Veneto. The works of 20 different contemporary Italian and international artists
are sprinkled throughout the spacious grounds and the interior of the
first floor of the 16th-century Villa, truly transforming it into a "Home of
Life."
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The Nature of the Present by Chicco Margaroli - Photo: Cat Bauer
Leaves that fell last year from the walnut trees behind Villa Barbaro
in transparent treasure chests of protein jelly |
The inauguration was uplifting and filled with warmhearted energy -- especially moving as the vibrant heiress of Villa di Maser, Diamante Luling Boschetti, had passed away in April of last year -- you could feel her smiling from the heavens. Diamante was the granddaughter of the wealthy industrialist Count Giuseppe Volpi,
who had bought the neglected Villa in 1934 for his daughter, Marina, and restored it to its Renaissance splendor.
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| Vittorio Dalle Ore & real-life "Little Dog" - Photo: Cat Bauer |
Diamante and her husband, Vittorio Dalle Ore, continued the tradition, lovingly caring for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is also an agricultural estate with its own vineyards and award-winning wines. Vittorio hosted the inauguration followed faithfully by his small pack of Kooikerhondje Spaniels, the famous Veronese "Little Dog" brought to life.
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| Palladio's Tempietto at Villa Barbaro - Photo: Cat Bauer |
In April 2016, I wrote a post entitled
Villa Barbaro - Paradise on Earth - Palladio & Veronese in the Veneto after my first visit to Villa Barbaro. Here is an excerpt:
Tradition says that Palladio died in Maser in 1580 while working on the
building of the Tempietto, the last structure he designed (along with
the Teatro Olimpico, a Renaissance theatre in Vicenza), and the first
religious structure to be attached to a Palladian villa. Designing the Tempietto was a dream come true for Palladio, allowing him to combine a
circle and a Greek cross, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The Temple
served the Villa Barbaro, and was also the church of Maser, located at
the foot of the hill where the villa stands.
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| Interior of Palladio's Tempietto at Villa Barbaro - Photo: Cat Bauer |
On Saturday, I had the rare privilege to enter Palladio's vision, together with a small private group. It was a great honor to witness the sacred structure from the inside and gaze upon the sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria. Palladio and Marcantonio Barbaro both believed that the design was the epitome of the perfect religious building, even though it reflected the Pantheon, a pagan Roman structure. Constructing the Tempietto was the fulfillment of their long-held dream, and seeing it with my own eyes was a deeply emotional experience; I felt as if I were in the presence of divine energy harnessed by humankind.
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| Contemporary art in ancient Nymphaeum at Villa Barbero - Photo: Cat Bauer |
A visit to Villa di Maser should also include a stop at the farmhouse next to the Villa where you can sample the wine and try the tasting menus that feature the best local food from the region.
Casa di Vita - Armonia del tempo runs through September 15, 2019. Go to
Villa di Maser for more information.
UPDATE: Casa di Vita exhibition has been extended through October 13, 2019.
Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog
Until September, the first thing you will see when you approach Villa Barbaro is a shocking red tube splashed across the front of the meadow, woven through the branches of dead trees. It is the work of environmental artist David Gazit, who draws red lines, not with a pencil, but with long red tubes.
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