What to see in Venice

In the space of 15 years, American art has moved from Pop Art through Abstract Expressionism and has reached the extreme simplification with Minimalism. It is during the decade of the 60s when this abstract art trend develops – characterized by the complete elimination of any human representation.

The evolution of art is tremendous: during the Renaissance they could spend months painting the face of an angel; the Impressionists were concerned about the visual impressions, the light and the colour; the Surrealists worried about the unconscious and the Abstracts about the colour. Over the years, the art has become “ordinary”: it concerns itself with everyday life, about the insignificant things and about spiritually.

The dematerialization of art – according to Lucy Lippard and John Chandler, functions as the analysis of the changes that characterize the contemporary art. The artists focus on the disappearance of the object, in favour of the concept. Therefore, art is an idea.

It has often spoken about the secrecy of abstract art, because it is an art that does not represent anything recognizable, but refers to a human emotion or an investigation into the art itself.

Ad Reinhardt is considered the father of the minimal and the conceptual art. His work begins with geometric compositions and works in different shades of the same colour. His paintings were called “black” because they seemed to be almost black monochrome fabrics. The poetry of these works lies in a search of the absolute and of the transcendental dimension of the colour.

Another reductionist artist like Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt and Robert Morris were interested in lines and volumes from the standpoint of the perception. In the work of Dan Flavin, the protagonist is light: he works with standard fluorescent lights and industrial lights.

In general, they do not give titles to their works because they believe that they determine the interpretation of the spectators. They prefer that the public perceive and interpret the work themselves.

If all this seems a bit too clinical and you are passionate about the human forms and the architectural mastery, we recommend you to travel to Venice, Italy. Why not rent apartments in Venice, and make your stay a fantastic one.

The Venice Carnival is one of the most famous celebrations, not only in Italy but worldwide. This pagan festival dates back to the fifteenth century, but the tradition began to be held in the early fourteenth. During these early years of the carnival the Venetian masks could be used only at night, but over time the carnival attracted many people from across Europe, including people of the royalty, who came to the city of canals and spent large fortunes.

The Venetian Carnival has nothing to do with other carnival celebrations, such as the carnivals of Brazil, Cadiz or the Canary Islands. This is an elegant and distinguished party where people dress up with beautiful masks and costumes and stroll throughout the streets in impromptu parades. Everything seems as if it were out of a Canaletto painting, where the canals, the gondolas, and the handsome strollers give the city a fairytale aspect.

The Venice Carnival is not only noted for its elegance but for its distinction, too. Throughout the whole city many parties, dances and private events are held – some of the entrance fees cost around € 500.

This year the carnival will be held from the 6th to the 16th February and is entitled “Sensation: 6 sense for 6 sestieri” which will focus on the senses. On the streets there is a festive and special atmosphere, and the tourists and the locals can enjoy the carnival groups, known as “Compagnie della Calza”. People can also enjoy other festivals such as the Feast of Mary, the historical parades or the Drag Queen show in the iconic Piazza San Marco.

The most magical night of the carnival is held at the Pisani Moretta Palace under by candlelight overlooking the Grand Canal. This palace is an Italian gem located in the heart of the city whose interior is covered with beautiful frescos from the eighteenth century. There the prestigious masquerade ball, the “Mascheranda” is held. Everything is set in the seventeenth century. At first, a gala dinner is served, lit by hundreds of candles, with live instrumental music, dancers, and the best actors of the Commedia dell’Arte and Casanova foundations, among others. The night is full of surprises and the party continues until the early morning.

Other important events are the children’s mask contest in San Marco, the medieval music concerts of the seventeenth century in the Campo San Barnaba, or the traditional bathing on the beach of the Ibernisti on the Island of Lido.

Are you going to miss it? The Venice Carnival is one of those parties to which you should assist at least once in a lifetime. To find affordable and comfortable accommodation, rent Venice apartments and become the king or queen of the masquerade ball.

It may go unnoticed, but you may have a mania that you repeat every day, and even more if you’re under great anxiety, like biting your nails or making noises with your mouth: this is something sudden, rapid and continuous, which has no particular purpose. A person that suffers from manias does not know that he has it and one of the most troubling things is how much it can affect his social or personal life. Do you have a type of mania?

There are as many manias as people, but they can be classified by types: there are some related to order, others which have to do with cleaning, with scruples or with health or safety. There are sound and gesture manias, and also temporary or chronic ones.

Having a tidy house is not uncommon, but it is worrying when the person requires that the objects are placed in a certain place or way, symmetrical and aligned. It also may be a problem when the person is very rigid with timeliness.

Visiting the doctor because one is afraid to be sick or going to the pharmacy for any symptom is a form of mild hypochondria. If this reaches extremes, that may be a mania. Other manias are the fear of shaking hands with another person, the fear of being contaminated or the need to wash ones hands continuously.

The most popular manias are based on the repetition of an observation: Have I closed the door of the car? Have I closed all the windows? Have I turned off the lights? If you need to check again and again that everything is ok, you may have a serious mania or obsessive compulsive disorder.

Daily life can become a nightmare for some people. To know if you have a compulsive disorder personality, pay attention to these striking symptoms: if you have a serious preoccupation for every single detail, if you need to write a list for everything you do or if you are such an extreme perfectionist that you lose the final goal of your activities. The excessive perfectionism, an absolute dedication to work that excludes social relationships and leisure, inflexibility and the moral scrupulousness may lead you to a compulsive disorder personality. Other signs include the inability to throw useless and worthless sentimental objects, saving money to cope with future disasters, or a rigid and stubborn character.

The origin of these disorders is often identified by anxiety, fear, stress, frustration, boredom or depression. It usually occurs during childhood, because a person suffered a traumatic event like the death of a loved one or family member or a strong self-esteem complex. The mania usually disappears when sleeping.

If you feel too nervous, try to do some relaxing activities and talk about your concerns with people close to you or with a professional. We also recommend a trip to recharge your batteries and to clear your mind. Venice is the perfect city! Rent Apartments in Venice, they are cheap and comfortable. . Forget about your worries and manias and just focus on the trip.