Geopolitics at the Venice Biennale
Plus, Pontine secrets and Bolognese painting
The philosopher and activist Lorenzo Marsili published an interesting and quietly provocative piece in The Guardian this week exploring the underlying politics of this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale. I was in the city myself a few weeks ago and managed to run-around the Giardini exhibition for a couple of hours. And I have to say, while the individual pavilions were interesting, and the overall quality strong, I found the guiding concept - “The Laboratory for the Future” - rather flimsy. Yes, the emphasis on climate change and sustainability makes obvious sense, but I was flummoxed by a few underdeveloped and occasionally crude generalizations about globalisation, civilisation, nationalism and planetary politics. In his piece, Lorenzo gets to the heart of the problem by honing-in, specifically, on the conspicuous lack of engagement with China as a political, cultural, social and economic power. “How does multiplicity not slide into relativism?” he asks, “as we abandon the homogenising language of western modernity, is the future one where the large language models of artificial intelligence carry different values in different countries, adjusting what they say regarding the Uyghurs or LGBTQ+ rights depending on whether you ask the question in Beijing, Cairo or Madrid? Is tradition and identity and the slippery slope towards nationalism all that we have left, or can we imagine a new universalism binding together a common humanity?” If you’re interested in this very real dilemma, and possible answers, I highly recommend reading the whole piece here.
On a lighter note: Italy Magazine published a decent little travel essay this week about a classic Italian “locals-only” summer destination that I’ve been wanting to visit for years. The island of Ponza, which is located just off the peninsula’s Tyrrhenian coast between Lazio and Campania, Rome and Naples, is one of those places you tend to hear about in hushed whispers. Friends in the capital have regaled me tales again and again of the quiet fishing ports, the herbaceous Mediterranean cliffs and most of all the deep blue sea which, much like Capri, Ischia and Procida, is apparently dark and mineral-rich with an emerald tinge. Miranda Mullings, the author of this piece, does a good job painting a picture of what a few days or weeks on the island would look like: i.e. whizzing around the rocky coast on a rental boat (no license required) and devouring the seafood heavy cuisine. That sounds a blast to me. And while I’ve already got my own plans for August, I’ve bookmarked this for next year. Here’s the link, to add to your bucket list.
Arts and culture: female gazes
Last month, in a low key, understated launch event, Bologna inaugurated a new Museo Ottocento [Museum of Nineteenth Century Art] which based on the first media reviews sounds like a superb addition to that city’s culture scene. The permanent exhibition, curated by Francesca Sinigaglia, is comprised of 85 works, mainly paintings, which take the viewer on a journey from the origins of realism and naturalism right the way up to symbolism and early impressionism. The focus, admirably, is on local artists: figures like Flavio Bertelli, Mario de Maria and Alfredo Protti, all of whom played minor but accomplished roles in the development of Italian painting. Later this year Sinigaglia plans to launch an associated research centre, with its own dedicated foundation which will support scholars and artists working in related and relevant fields. The museum is located in the city centre, in Piazza San Michele, opening hours are 10.00-19.00 Tuesday to Sunday and the tickets cost 10 euros. Click here for more info and to book your visit.
Leaving the geographical confines of Italy for a moment, but sticking with Bolognese art, Ireland’s National Gallery has apparently put together an astonishing show about the Renaissance artist Lavinia Fontana and by all accounts it sounds like a must see. I’ll be honest - to my shame - I am not familiar with Fontana or with her work. Born in Bologna in 1552 she spent most of her life in Rome and the Vatican serving as a portrait painter for various Papal patrons. This new show foregrounds some of her most controversial and - for some critics - audacious work. Let’s just say Fontana was no prude. On the contrary, much like her male counterparts, she used her art to deliver powerful messages about paganism, humanism and even atheism, and she did so, at times, by foregrounding nudity, eroticism and a certain amount of sexual frolicking [see below!]. This premise alone, frankly, is enough to merit a visit in my book. And while I sadly won’t be able to get to the show - and I imagine few here will - the Guardian’s overview of how “this Renaissance artist could be every bit as outrageous and licentious as the boys” makes for a fascinating read.
Regular readers may recall that I’m a big fan of the stand-up comedian Edoardo Ferrario and in particular his podcast Cachmere: which he launched together with Luca Ravenna during the Covid-19 lockdowns as a space for performers to congregate when live venues were shut (if you haven’t already, check out the full back catalogue on YouTube from the very first episode — yes, it really is that good!) This week, however, just a month after announcing Cashmere will not be returning for a 4th season (yes, I’m devastated), Ferrario launched a new venture with Stefano Rapone, star of the “rival’ show Tintoria. The new podcast, Uom, will set out to explore Italian culture and politics through the medium of improvised free-flowing, surrealist comedy. I just watched the first 10 minutes of Artaudian meta-theatrical comment on influencer culture, new media formats and audience attention spans and I have to say, in all honesty, it seems like this show is going to be absolutely, excruciatingly, painfully awkward... Nevertheless, if performance art and (very) alternative comedy is your kind of thing check out the first episode below.
Recipe of the week: almond panna cotta with rosé cherries
This is a household staple for the end of June and, frankly, one of all my all-time favourite sweet recipes. Generally, I get a bit anxious about panna cotta. Too much gelatine and you’ve got a disaster on your hands; there’s always the risk of ending up with a slimy, slippery, insipid jelly-block. If, however, you get your proportions just right, and flavour your cream with something interesting - like say almonds or pistachio nuts - the classic Piemontese dolce can really sing. Letitia Clark has got all your bases covered on that front, and her instructions for “almond panna cotta with rosé cherries”, from her first book Bitter Honey are foolproof. The dairy base is excellent, non-cloying and clean-tasting, and her fruity, sweet-sour, slightly-boozy topping is as insanely delicious as it sounds. Try this on a hot day as an elegant end to a BBQ and I promise you will not be disappointed! Here’s the link.
About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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