Art Break in Venice

img_0353
This beautiful photo was by the stairwell in the lovely boutique hotel Novecento where I stayed on my recent trip. A gorgeous hotel with eclectic and artistic furnishings that make you feel like you are surrounded by precious treasures of another era. I highly recommend it if you visit Venice.

All That and A Cherry on Top

I was so taken with all of the art and art galleries in Venice that I thought I’d share some of the beautiful and unique pieces I saw simply walking through the city a few weeks ago. You don’t really even need to step into a museum to see the amazing creativity that lives within the city’s canals and alleyways. Some of these beautiful pieces we found just getting lost on the way to our hotel. Wandering off somewhere at it’s finest.

First find was at the Contini Galleria d’Arte.

 
img_0338
Put a giant blue cherry on top! This lovely vision along with the giant pink cherry below and the sexy yellow and blue lipstick container were exhibited in the Contini Galleria d’Arte.
img_0340
We found these large shiny and beautiful sculptures as we were searching not so successfully for our hotel. We eventually found it thanks to some locals. Google maps was seriously confused and brought us to a totally different area, but we had a nice tour of Venice along the way.

Be Chairful Where You Sit

Also at Contini Galleria d’Arte was this gorgeous chair by the amazing Carla Tolomeo as part of her Never Rest exhibit. It  looks too beautiful to sit on. Look closely, what are the shapes that the chair is made up of?
img_0335
Another incredible chair by Carla Tolomeo in the Contini Galleria d’ Arte.  As a parrot lover, this one titled, “The Golden Parrots,” was my favorite. Those car paintings in the background were pretty amazing as well.

Carla Tolomeo, who created these fantastic chairs, was born in 1945 in Pinerola, Italy. She first studied painting in Rome with famous Italian artists and was successful in a number of artistic venues, but a turning point came with her creation of the exhibit “Sedie” (Chairs) in 1997.

In her first book dedicated to these chair sculptures, Tolomeo described the philosophy behind creating them as “a mutation, a transformation from any object to an object of art, starting from the most banal and domestic furnishing element: the Chair.”

Yes, chairs can be art. And lipsticks and cherries, too, apparently. Although not nearly as practical as a chair.

I couldn’t get enough of this regal cherry.  What room would you put it in your home? I think I’d make a room just to house it. Maybe a dining room?

Across from Contini Galleria d’Arte was the Contemporary Art Gallery with equally captivating art pieces. We didn’t go inside, but the outside was quite interesting.

img_9959
This beautiful golden-suited ballerina looks completely immersed in her blissful dance.
img_9960
This baby rhinoceros being weighed was an enigmatic and intriguing piece. What do you think it means?

The Eyes Have It

I also found some wonderfully creative eyeglass frames for artsy people while I was walking around the San Marco area. Unique and edgy, they definitely make a statement and looked like small works of art themselves.  I’ve seen many Italians with rather bold and colorful eyewear and I like it.

Would you wear the frames below? And what pairs? I think quite a few of my friends might like them. I would wear a few of them, but I don’t know about that one pair that looks like a tree branch. I wouldn’t go that far out on a limb. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. 

 

img_0094img_0098

img_0097
The red flame-like cat-eyed ones on the end were my favorite. Which are yours?

 

Window Shopping

img_0005
This haunting display almost lured me in, but when I went to open the door it was locked. I really liked the wooden harlequin.
img_0009
Spooky, but enchanting little guy.

Cool Art Everywhere

You really have to have your eyes completely closed to not see the art around the city of  Venice. I highly recommend spending one day here just visiting art galleries and enjoying the unique and incredible craftsmanship and fascinating objects that can be found all around the city.

The artwork below by Annalù Boeretto is another one of the amazing artists whose work is being shown in the Ravagnan Gallery, along with the moving sculptures by artist Bruno Catalano seen in my previous post, The Travelers. Her pieces are defined by “metamorphosis, of transition, evolution conceived as a journey between different conditions, diverse realities,” according to the Ravagnan Gallery website.  

img_0385

The one below is just an explosion of action or reality.  I’d love to just spend an hour over coffee talking about what this piece with those exploding books represents. It’s another very evocative work by Annalù Boeretto that is also located presently in the Ravagnan Gallery.

IMG_0389

There is so much more all around the city, but I hope you will visit Italy yourself when travel is back to normal. But please don’t forget about Venice when you make your travel plans. Spend more than a night there, too. The city will need your help recovering economically when the storm that is Covid-19 has passed.  It’s a city worth saving and savoring for its history and art alone, as well as its creative inspiration for all those who visit.

 

IMG_0395
A pink sparkly pug is every diva’s dream (also on display at Ravagnan).
img_0102
A local store sells brightly colored flowery bowls that would perk up any table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 thoughts on “Art Break in Venice

    1. Thanks, Mel. I’m always blown away about how much art exists in Italy and its cities. I wish that every art student in the world could visit it for inspiration and encouragement.

    1. Thanks for visiting my blog, Kathleen! So much art in Venice that it’s hard to process when you’re there. And I only visited one art museum, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. I would love to visit again with someone like you who has a much more in-depth knowledge of art.

I’d love to hear from you. What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.