Wednesday, August 1, 2001

The languages of art At the Arsenale, Judi Harvest exhibits "Rhinoscimento"

Venice

A complex, intriguing and multimedia exhibition that symbolizes infinitely a kind of secret diary of reference with Italy which the American, Judi Harvest has cultivated for many years. With a semantical deformation, she has titled the exhibition "Rhinoscimento", putting at the center of her work, a symbolic figure of a rhinoceros, endowing the strength of -renaissance". The exhibition installation curated with Barbara Rose in Spazio Proietto at the Arsenale, on until September 30, presents diverse types of work which confirm not only the talent, but also the naturalness with which Judi Harvest uses the languages of art. The rhinoceros, time after time, once a small wind up toy, a real giant one filmed at the Miami Zoo, a splendid Murano glass one, a giant photographic one, or her small variation of the famous painting by Pietro Long.,hi, from 1751. Therefore, the protagonist of this exhibition, which -glues" a long and active video, declares overall, two references to the environment: "The Coral Tree" an old dried tree, painted by Harvest in Panarea; the other is the dramatic fire of La Fenice in Venice. the city where Harvest visited for the first time in 1973, and has revisited for long periods. Chris-crossing things in a zig-zagging reflective line, touching at the same moment, the tragedy and the play, the representation, inside and out of historical documentation, while evoking the time and restlessness of the contemporary. Utilizing this operation with ease, through numerous mediums from painting to sculpture, video and photography. Declaring for certain verses, a "narrative" intention trusting essentially, that overall only visual emotions, affirms the American artist, "can sensitively restore the joy and the pain." Considering 'finally, this exhibition by Judi Harvest, aside from an idea made expressively for Venice, shapes a good look at i unique "grand work", united and formally coherent for the diverse languages used, which deciares explicitly the motives other existence and the reasons for her manifestation.

Enzo Di Martino

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