I’m approaching my final week of the most incredible month in Venice, what a time it’s been! I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to live and work in this city like no other.
The 58th Venice Biennale has a combination of dynamic, intriguing and controversial contemporary art. There is definitely something for everyone, whether you are interested in art or not. However, having had conversations daily with visitors, tourists, local Venetians and Italians- the highlight for most is the Lithuanian Pavilion. The winner of the Golden Lion, and rightly so.
Sun & Sea (Marina) highlights climate change in a unique and disparate way. An indoor beach, with people of all ages lying down on towels, playing in the sand, lathering in suncream, reading magazines and scrolling through their iPhone. It’s your usual beach scene. Yet, with a significant difference. Suppressing the sounds of seagulls, children laughing and waves rolling, is the music and operatic singing by some of the characters on the beach. They each take it in turn to sing about day to day life building towards beautiful chorus sections as they harmonise together in addressing planetary scale issues.
It is a compelling play to watch, which is why queues of visitors wait to experience it the from the mezzanine gallery above. Fortunately, I could walk straight past the queue, to become part of the performance!
In my ‘pastel coloured’ clothes and swimming gear I was welcomed onto the set to join the 40+ others enjoying the beach. At first when I walked in I was apprehensive of where to look and what to do. Although, as time went by I relaxed into the scene. I was captivated listening to the mesmerising music, but wary not to respond and instead act as if nothing is happening.
Nothing is happening.
This is exactly what the performance points us towards. It highlights how our world will end in the future due to sheer laziness and lack of significant response to global climate change. When this is understood, it is a poignant performance, and hopefully will influence some positive change for our future.
Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of the Golden Lion winning Pavilion so I’m very privileged to have had the chance to participate. I highly recommend giving Sun and Sea (Marina) a listen online, or even better, watching it in person! The Biennale is open until the 24th of November and Lithuania Perform on Saturdays & Wednesdays.
Thanks for reading!