Friday, May 08, 2015

Dog day afternoon

Imagine. You are in Italy feeling good vibes for China and thinking it would be nice to have some sort of friendship arrangement. Someone suggests art. A light bulb appears above your head as you remember that the Venice Biennale is on in a couple of months. You email China. “Please send your best friendship art. Pronto.” Large crates arrive accompanied by the artist who unpacks the contents and assembles it all in a convenient palazzo. Taking a few minutes out from your heavy party schedule, you catch a water taxi, get off at Rialto, and stroll along to take a look. The work celebrating friendship is sixty, slavering, bronze dogs in attack mode at the base of Michelangelo’s Pietá. You faint.

Images: Top Liu Rue Wang’s installation in Venice. Bottom, Michael Hill’s version of the same work installed on his South Island golf course.