Wednesday, August 10, 2005 L'ARTE

SAN MARCO at the pier of Calle Vallaresso

The "Full Moon" in glass by the American Judi Harvest

For the occasion of the 2003 Biennale, she realized a huge Buddha in colored Murano glass which has been placed at the San Marco vaporetto stop and has been there for several months, creating an amazing installation which attracted the attention of the entire city. Also this year, the American artist, Judi Harvest -who is, to tell the truth, nearly Venetian by adoption- has expressed her strong presence at the same time as the big international village fair of art. She has created an enormous "Full Moon", also executed in a Murano furnace, that is made up of more than 2000 blown glass spheres, this time in tender, pale colors, like the moon. Appearing like a more than 2 meters sphere, made of 28 segments which progressively illuminate with a computer system resulting in a "Full Moon" every 5 minutes. Like Buddha in 2003, which not by chance had the title Fragmented Peace, the fragmented peace that the world is living in at this moment, also "Full Moon" has a strongly symbolic connotation. Naturally, this is a work made of art, realized therefore with evident aesthetics, which appears in between the real sculpture and what is usually defined as "installation". But by the declaration of Harvest herself, is to understand that this moon is also an instrument to connect us to one another, and in the end, all of us to the spirit of the universe. This intention was also addressed in the lucid, critic's presentation text by Barbara Rose. But with all of the evidence, ultimately, the "Full Moon" by Judi Harvest occupies urban space in a harmonious and significant manner. Manifesting in every way, a plastic and visual event, which until now was inexistent, and which involves passer-bys in reflection and emotion.

Enzo Di Martino

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