Venice diary day 2: Breasts, Mark Bradford and a bowl of berries

I woke up pining for a coffee and headed to the hotel restaurant overlooking the canal. Mother nature has bestowed on us multiple seasons within a span of three days, and this morning feels like mid winter. Perhaps partially in denial, I took my Americano on the terrace. There was only one other brave soul out there and we shared a polite nod in solidarity.

I’ve found that referrals can be particularly helpful when selecting which among the sea of shows to catch this week, and that is how I learned about the Breasts exhibition. Arriving at the 16th-century Palazzo ACP Franchetti, where the show is being held, I was directed down a long hallway draped in thick scarlet-coloured velvet. The title of the show gives a strong clue as to its content, though what I was not expecting was the eclectic variety of mediums and styles: with works by Marcel Duchamp, Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Chloe Wise, and Irving Penn. While in the palazzo I stopped into another exhibition, Welcome! A Palazzo for Immigrants by Osman Yousefzada, a beautiful presentation sponsored by the V&A and the British Council (thanks to curator Jenn Ellis for the tip).

I ventured back out onto the streets and ran into artist Maria Kreyn donning a silk cape (she has an exhibition at Chiesa di San Giorgio, which I intend to stop by later in the week). I continued to my next destination, the Hauser and Wirth publishers pop-up in Campo San Maurizio. They launched Mark Bradford’s new book Process Collettivo as well as a limited edition fluorescent pink Murano glass sculpture. When Bradford represented the US at the 2017 Biennale, he utilised his platform to draw attention to a local nonprofit improving Venice prisons, and the proceeds of his latest projects continues to support this initiative. As I make my way east, I heard live piano coming from a tiny opticals shop, and took a moment to appreciate how delightfully random this was.

The opening days of any art event always inspire a palpable angst and enthusiasm. Arriving at the Giardini for the first time this year, I watched a woman in front of me denied entrance and then storm off in a huff. The France pavilion’s inauguration party was in full swing and as I walked up to the crowded entrance, I notice a dark and foreboding sky. Moments later Job Piston, associate curator at large for Performa, called my name. We hear a crack of thunder before luckily reaching the front, so run inside to catch up beside the artist Julien Creuzet’s hanging sculptures and video installations. Next I was off to the Canadian Pavilion to see Kapwani Kiwanga, an artist brought to my attention by the lovely Paris-based Galerie Poggi.

After milling about the Biennale for several hours, I headed to the Art Basel Venice cocktail party in the Paradiso restaurant, hosted by Art Basel director Noah Horowitz and my friend Irene Kim, the fair's head of VIP relations. With aperol spritzes flowing I said a quick hi to Princess Alia Al-Senussi, an advisor for Art Basel.

My final stop is across town, so despite the wind whipping at high speeds I opted for a water taxi, which is the chilliest but fastest mode of transport from the Giardini. I arrived for Almine Rech’s Ewa Juszkiewicz exhibition reception held in the stunning Palazzo Cavanis, in conjunction with Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso. I spoke to Almine Rech’s London director Thibault Geffrin wand he filled me in on the premise of the show as well as the rich history of the building, which has been in the same family since 1663.

A terracotta and brick floor led to the Palazzo’s flowering central garden, where sleekly dressed waiters served wine and canapes. I perused the show, Locks with Leaves and Swelling Buds and—after a blustery and productive day—headed back to my hotel, where they had left me a cheeky bowl of dark chocolates and berries.