What to see in Venice

On 4 June, in the Jardines del Castillo, the French Pavilion will inaugurate the work of an artist who has explored the relationship between art and history through archive: Christian Boltanski. The reason for the profound connection between this artist and politics is biographical: Boltanski was born in a family marked by the holocaust in 1944 (Paris), just before the end of the Second World War. He was self educated, and began to paint when he was very young, as early as 1958. In an interview he once said that between 1969 and 1971 he had dedicated himself to reconstructing his childhood using photographs.

He became known towards the end of the 60s for his avant-garde short films and then later for his films and sculptures, although what brought him most fame were his installations, thanks to his use of archives as a device for preserving historical memory that should never be lost. In the 70s he also dedicated himself to reconstructing objects that had belonged to him between 1948 and 1954.

His installations develop the theme of absence and Boltanski makes it clear that every absence is the scar of an earlier presence, of something that has disappeared (or, in this case, that has been made to disappear) and left behind a vacuum, a hollow space full of marks, traces and signs which must be recovered in order to reconstruct what was almost erased from history. But, what is an archive? An archive consists of a gathering of what remains, of those traces that can help us rebuild the lost narratives, as photographs, used clothing or objects and documentation can be. Each one is, and represents, a mark of an absence.

It is interesting to note with this artist how reality and the will to preserve the history of forgetting are continually mixed with fiction. There is a degree of intervention in the reality of the events described, so that without subverting said events, Boltanski opens an important reflection about the nature of history: each event, seen from the perspective of Boltanski, becomes narration, and each narration is something independent from the way things have happened, since the spectator-narrator work of reconstruction can in no way be objective. It could be said that an installation that is comprised of a series of objects cannot be an interpretation in itself, yet the selection itself defines what we can or cannot see. In this sense, each time we see an image we might think that all that is not shown in it is being hidden from us.

Boltanski will represent France in the 54^th Venice Biennale with the work entitled “Chance”, in which he will address the theme of chance: its power and unfathomable laws. For the duration of the Biennale you can access a version of the piece at: www.boltanski-chance.com

menschauser

If you are passionate about art and history then we recommend you rent apartments in Venice and go and enjoy “Chance” at the Venice Biennale.

Contact Me 

Translated by: Ben Palmer
Contact Me

The National is a post-punk band that was born in ´99 and which, through the years, positioned itself as one of the most important of the scene. Also in 2010 they launched its latest production, called “High Violet”, which reached the top of the most prestigious charts and was considered by many publications as one of the best albums of the year.

The National’s influences range from Bruce Springsteen to Tindersticks, and for that reason, their sound not only varies greatly from disc to disc but also between the songs of the same production. Some tracks are slow, states hymns, while others are pure rock that will inevitably take more than one dancing.

The composition and interpretation of the letters is by Matt Berninger, who is the leader of The National, while then there are the brothers Bryce and Aaron Dessner and Scott

Moreover, we have Beirut, a U.S. band that comes from New Mexico who was born in 2006 and that began, at first, as a solo project of Zach Condon, but evolved into a group where he is a member that handles the vocals and some instruments.

This time the band is expected to launch their third studio album that will be called “The Rip Tide” and is announced for August 30. For this reason Beirut is on tour and while they will not play their entire new repertoire, there are many new songs they are starting to play in their live performances.

For further information: http://www.italianticketoffice.it/the-national-beirut-piazza-castello-112313l960688-es.html

Piazza Castello: 44100 Ferrara, Italy

MiLK

Don´t miss the concert in Ferrara listening to The National and Beirut together on July 5 in the Piazza Castello, and if you are heading towards the north of Italy take advantage of apartments in Venice

Contact Me 

Translated by: Maria
Contact Me

We should all reserve the right to enjoy sex, right? So, what happens when we don´t enjoy it – what happens when the orgasm isn´t synonymous with pleasure; but, conversely, with it´s absence? Anorgasmia – or the disorder of the orgasm means the absence, or the persistent elusiveness of the orgasm after a period of normal sexual excitement. The Royal Academic dictionary simplifies this to “absence or deficiency of the sexual orgasm.”

In any case, I think the meaning´s clear. And if you suffer from anorgasmia, you should definitely seek professional advice, because there are solutions out there. Though it´s an issue mainly associated with women, men can get it too, and either way, individual psychotherapy is recommended.

But, what causes it? There are various different explanations – for example, that it is due to incorrect stimulation of the clitoris – or the more psychological side of things, such as anxiety, feelings of guilt at feeling pleasure, lack of confidence, and more seriously, as a result of a previous trauma such as rape or sexual abuse.

Along with these kinds of causes are people who suffer from anorgasmia due to medication or drugs which affect the nervous system.

So you see, there are all kinds of reasons, but they can all be treated, so if you suffer from it yourself: don´t suffer in silence, and visit a doctor. There is help available. It just requires a bit of time, and patience – but when a couple has confronted their sex issues, all that remains is to enjoy each other, and make up for lost time.

mia1603

You could, for example, plan a romantic trip to the city of canals, where you´ll be able to surround yourself with the love and mystery of the city. Rent apartments in Venice and enjoy some exploration of yourself too…

Contact Me 

Translated by: Poppy
Contact Me

Well, many people tried to reply to this question and find how many orgasms may have a woman … but can anyone tell for sure? To be able to offer an answer, a group of researchers made an experiment using diverse techniques of recording the woman orgasms such as electrodes fixed on the female body, video cameras and other magnetic recorders.

The female-volunteer who accepted to be part of this experiment, had sex with few different male partners during few hours, being carefully supervised by the researchers’ team. Once a male partner got to the moment of ejaculation, he was soon replaced by other men and the experiment continued in this way until have been registered 50 female orgasms.

At this point, even the female-volunteer was more or less willing to continue, the researchers decided to stop the experiment as they have run low of recording items. However, they concluded that 50 registered orgasms for a woman, is a pretty good result which shows and explains how female excitability works. Basically, the conclusion has been that there are two different types of orgasms: one type may be caused by clitoris stimulation and the other one by vaginal penetration.

The scientific analyze of how a woman is reacting and what she is feeling during having orgasm, showed that approximates two minutes before, in the female brain are stimulated the “pleasure” nervous centers which are the same, for example,  as when she is eating her favorite food. Then the brain excitation goes on to other 30 nervous centers, all being usually excited during the happiness moments. Depending on how many nervous centers are involved, the orgasm will be more or less intense and the pleasure will last a longer or shorter period after getting the orgasm.

No matter if a woman will have only a single one or multiple orgasms during sex, important is to feel comfortable with her partner and to try to reach together the pleasure as intense as possible, knowing that quality is maybe always more important than quantity.

Greenday

Tonight I have a date with my boyfriend. We’ll go to have dinner together and then we’ll walk to the city. I think we’ll remain over night here, that is why now I will rent one of the apartments in Venice to assure that we’ll have a romantic time …

Contact Me 

On the 2th of June, the exhibition “Il mondo vi appartiene” (The world belongs to you) at Palazzo Grassi was inaugurated.  The exhibition, along with “In Praise of the doubt” which opened on April 10th in Punta de la Dogana, marks the first five years of activity of Palazzo Grassi, inaugurated by François Pinault in 2006, and the beginning of a collaboration between the two venues. In “Il mondo vi appartiene”, curated by Caroline Bourgeois and organized by the François Pinault Foundation, the works of some of the most influential artists in international contemporary art scene will be exhibited (for more information visit: www.palazzograssi.it).

One of the purposes of “Il mondo vi appartiene is once again to question the inherent traditional boundaries of geography in art, i.e the relationship with the outside world, with that that is different. This subject, apart from being very extensive, is very complex and delicate, and the exhibition manage to generate a slight provocation because it put you in contact with artists from very different generations. Thus, we propose a confrontation of their practices, their concerns, their personal journeys, and attempts to explore the complex relationship between reality (i.e between the facts as they have occurred), history (narrations from the past) and their representations. Regarding this issue, the Bourgeois said in a press release that “the show revolves around the major themes of contemporary history, from the disintegration of the symbols to its tendency to self-referentiality, passing through the obsession with violence and spirituality in a increasingly challenging and globalized world.

Let us not miss a paradox: that the word “globalization”, born as a manifest criticism towards the indistinct homogenization has among their characteristics to contribute to the imposition of certain artists and certain works of how  the “system impose certain brands and certain products”, but beyond the possible criticism it may be important to know what is being proposed  and how it is being proposed as influential

In “Il mondo vi appartiene” among the many artists chosen by curator Caroline Bourgeois we also find Alsoudani Ahmed, Sergey Bratkov, Maurizio Cattelan, Matthew Day Jackson, Marlene Dumas, El Anatsui, Urs Fischer, Cyprien Gaillard, David Hammons, Huang Yong Ping, Jeff Koons, Boris Mikhailov, Takashi Murakami, Giuseppe Penone, Sigmar Polke, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu and Zhang Huan.

menschauser

So if you want to know more about this important art area in Italy, we recommend that you rent apartments in Venice and enjoy this show (until the 31st December) and other attractions that the city offers.

Contact Me 

Translated by: Marc
Contact Me

“Make art not war” says a poster with blue capital letters that hangs from a wall in my house. It is to be sent to Bice Curiger, the curator of the Venice Biennial 2011, who asks: “If art were a country, what would its constitution state?” This year the 83 invited artists to the International Exhibition of Art in Venice exhibit under the title ILLUMinations and demonstrate why this event is “one of the most important forums for knowledge and illumination of the new developments in international art”, says Curiger. From June the 4^th until November the 27^th, art, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theater will inundate the city of canals.

Every two years, the cats that come to the public park Giardini in Venice have to share their territory. Besides the Arsenal and other places in the city, this space is transformed into an exhibition stage to install new national pavilions, in addition to the 29 permanent ones. The 54^th edition welcomes new countries like Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Haiti and Andorra. Other countries will participate again after many years of absence, such as India, Cuba, South Africa, Costa Rica, Iraq or Zimbabwe. If art were a country, its constitution would value the gender equality: this year 32 women will participate. And that country called Art would have as a motto “Youth is future”: 32 young artists, born after the year 1975, will participate in this edition as well. The program also highlights the organization of 37 events. Nothing will be missing to be illuminated.

Imitating Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the last crusade”, the lovers of the Seventh Art usually take pictures of themselves in front of the church that appears in the movie, located in Campo San Barnaba. It is even better to enjoy the 68^th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, which takes place from August the 31^st to September the 10^th in Lido, an island located 10 minutes from the city by vaporetto. As Cannes’, Berlin’s or San Sebastian’s, the Venice Film Festival is one of the most prestigious in the world. Every year it awards the best film production with the Golden Lion, won in 2010 by Sofia Coppola for her drama “Somewhere”.

The Venice Biennial is also about dance. The Arsenale della Danza or International Contemporary Dance Festival (from May the 11^th to June the 25^th) is the perfect opportunity to discover the most innovative works of current choreographers. The artistic menu is complete: you will be able to choose between the International Architecture Exhibition, the Contemporary Music Festival and the Theater Festival program organized by the Catalan artist Alex Rigola. Since 1895 the gondolas, St Mark’s Square or the charming narrow streets of Venice have remained in the background during several months. Instead, the workshops, performances, pavilions, bookshops and awards have made the city a destiny where innovation prevails.

CC

All in all, this is an ideal event to make a tour for the Venice landmarks and discover every facet of the international artistic production. Rent apartments in Venice and enjoy a unique stay!

Contact Me 

Translated by: Hans
Contact Me

Until the 25^th of June, we will be able to attend the Venice Dance Biennial. Among its notable activities is the Arsenale della Danza, which will present its shows at theater Piccolo Arsenale and theater Calibran.

The Dance Biennial is one of the activities taking place within the framework of the Venice Biennale, and it is meant to blend plasticity, creation and music together to represent it through dance performances. The Arsenale della Danza was created to enhance dance performances at Biennale. It is a laboratory, which brings together world-class choreographers, young dancers and artists from many disciplines to create performances of great aesthetic value.

Despite the economic crisis, which has reduced the biennial budget in recent years, the Arsenale laboratory has strengthened and become a professional school for young dancers from around the world. During five weeks, these young dancers receive and share their knowledge and experiences with internationally recognized teachers. Nowadays, the school reaches a capacity of 25 students from all over the world.

The poetic metaphor and aesthetics of Arsenale della Danza is based on the need to generate new proposals inspired on diversity. To meet this objective, experiences from different worlds and backgrounds are brought together, while integrating new concepts, which go hand in hand with art in its entirety. Among these manifestations, we find dance performances, which deconstruct movements and sounds interpreting shows without trial or motion planning, where the concept is freedom of creation.

In this poetic metaphor, Arsenale has developed an active collaboration with children from the Brazilian favelas, who make interesting dance workshops to enhance skills that will serve as tools for life. Along with these workshops, they carried out activities to rescue the lost values of their communities.

The artistic director of the Biennale and Arsenale, Ismael Ivo, is one of the creative minds of this great proposal. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, his modernist project integrates dance and theater, as a synthesis of his long artistic experience, which has led to interesting changes in the dance that are applied and refined in the laboratory of Arsenale.

The Biennale of Dance will close with a flourish, the program will include first-line shows created by well-known choreographers, who are considered the most important in the dance scene: Ismael Ivo, the Rotterdam Dance Academy, Xavier Le Roy, Michele Di Stefano and Lia Rodrigues among others. We will also have the opportunity to appreciate the presentation of Brilliant Corners by Emanuel Gat, which will be presented for the first on the last night of the Biennale.

For more information www.labiennale.org/it/danza/

Nancy Guzman

Venice is a wonderful place to live during the summer, so if you are on vacation in apartments in Venice you must come to the theaters Piccolo and Calibran to outstanding dance performances at Arsenale della Danza.

Contact Me 

Translated by: Hans
Contact Me

The Bukkake is not a very common sexual practice that involves more than two people. By definition it has to do with many men ejaculating on a woman, but today this practice has widely spread and now there are many variables.

The interesting thing about this sexual practice rather unusual is where it comes from. Some centuries ago in Japan, men who were cheated by their wives, punished and humiliated them by allowing other men to pour out their semen on the body of the cheater.

The other men participating on this practice were from the same community and at that time the meaning of this practice was the same as for us today to “spit on someone’s face” as a form of humiliation. But over the years and with the globalization of sexual practices, this activity became famous among some women and men willing to play in bed.

In the 70s, this practice was popularized in Japanese adult films and since then the diffusion of this sexual practice has not stopped.

Today this practice is done with respect and consent of the parties while performing group sex. The Bukkake is no longer used as punishment in Japan or anywhere else in the world, but it served as inspiration to create new sexual practices, especially those performed in groups. It is also possible to do Bukkake with your partner, even if only one person ejaculates on the other.

d.b

It is always good to have alternatives when it comes to sex. Playing and seducing each other is always positive for a couple. If you rent apartments in Venice you will have total freedom and comfort to have sex in the way you better like.

Contact Me 

Translated by: Hans
Contact Me