Summer is upon us, it
begins in the Northern Hemisphere, Friday, June 21 and that means, VACATION
TIME! If you’re wondering where to go abroad this is the best season
to visit Europe. The weather is warm, the skies are clear, and so many
festivals and events take place throughout the Continent. Today let’s
focus on Venice, Italy, and why the time is now for every Bahamian citizen
to visit the fabled city.
Venice is an Italian
city, located in NE Italy protected from the Adriatic Sea by land known
as ‘The Lido.’ It is one of Italy's top travel cities, known for its beauty and romance.
Its small, traffic-free streets along winding and picturesque canals
make for great walking and wandering. Getting lost in Venice can be
some of the most breath-taking moments in your life. You'll find many
magnificent churches, palaces, lively piazzas, and unique shops. Venice
consists of 117 bodies of land connected by more than 400 bridges over
its 150 canals; the city is bisected by The Grand Canal, think of this
major waterway as their Main Street (Bay Street).
There is so much I can
write and express of this unique city, I’ve loved it from childhood;
growing up in a canal-front home I always envisioned gondolas (traditional
Venetian boats) passing to and fro. There are many sites to see and
recommend, but as Bahamians and lovers of the Bahamas alike, we should
all go in support of the Bahamas Pavillion at the 55th Venice
Biennale.
Every other year, in odd-numbered years, Venice hosts the Venice Biennale.
This international art exhibition is world-renowned, and considered
to be the design world’s ‘Olympics.’ This year it takes place June 1– November 24. When I got news that the Bahamas was showcasing at the Venice Biennale, I almost did a backflip,
which sadly I cannot actually do; needless to say...I was very excited.
Being a Bahamian myself, the news made me more than proud, and curious
as to what exactly we would be showcasing to the world.
I found out the pavilion was being orchestrated by artist Tavares
Strachan, (b. 1979,) a Nassauvian, who lives in New York City, and received
a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003 and an MFA from
Yale University in 2006. Surprisingly, I was unaware of this modern
master of the arts, but quickly researched, learned, and began to admire
his thought-provoking work.
In this new exhibition
Tavares has teamed up with The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism to produce
the Bahamas inaugural Pavilion at the Biennale. Tavares Strachan presents, Polar Eclipse, a multi-sensory installation that investigates
themes of heroic exploration, cultural displacement, oral history, and
the shifting of historic narratives over time. Three geographically
and culturally disparate sites—the Venice Arsenale, downtown Nassau,
and the North Pole—will momentarily coexist in the Bahamian Pavilion.
The exhibition will exist in two dimensions: as a single, comprehensive
installation, and as a collection of individual artworks.
Summer is upon us and
these are exciting times for travel, in this season I highly recommend
Venice, although it can be crowded, hot, and costly, there is still
nothing on earth like it. If you’re a first-time visitor, stay in
Venice proper. Venice at night is magic in its purest form; with night
comes less day-tourists, this is when you can find yourself having the
narrow streets, piazzas, palaces, and canals all to yourself. The city
alone is reason enough to travel, but what puts it over this summer
is the Bahamas Pavilion, this is a wonderful trip for all who hold the
Bahamas dear to their hearts. Along with the Bahamas showcasing, 99
other countries, individual artist, private galleries, and so many more
creators will be displaying magnificent works of art & design at
the Biennale.
I suggest going during Festa del Redentore,
which occurs the third weekend in July. This religious festival takes
place at the Church of the Redentore, which lies on the island of Giudecca,
just across the water from the iconic Saint Mark's Square. The festival is celebrated with the building of a pontoon bridge
over the water, lavish feasts, fireworks, and a gondola regatta.
Happy Travels!
(Travel video: A Trip to Venice - English Travel Guide HD)
About the Author: Quinn Russell is the founder of
TravellersBazaar.com
,, which focuses on luxury
travel, architecture, art, style, people, and all that is beautiful
around the globe. Contact Quinn at:
thetravelbazar@yahoo.com
Bahamian artist, Tavares Strachan is the brainchild behind the Bahamas inaugural Pavilion at the Biennale.
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venicebahamas2013.org
