In Venice, sober art amid the spectacle

June 17, 2007|Ken Johnson, Globe Staff

VENICE -- Nothing illustrates the art world's inner conflicts more vividly than this year's Venice Biennale, the giant international exhibition of contemporary art. Set in a city of once - fabulous imperial wealth that is now a spectacularly picturesque tourist attraction, the exhibition's preview opening last week brought together the art world's most powerful and wealthy players for three days and nights of sumptuous partying, intense schmoozing, and, oh yeah, looking at art.

Then they were all off to the massive Art Basel fair in Switzerland for more of the same, followed by the openings of Documenta 12 , a humongous expo that happens every five years in Kassel, Germany; and Sculpture Projects Munster , a show in nearby Munster, Germany, that takes place only every 10 years.

These are paradoxical times for contemporary art. With works fetching record prices and money flowing into the market from American hedge funders and Russian and Asian plutocrats, it would seem the art has never been so highly valued. At the same time there abides within the art world much uncertainty about the deeper value of art. In light of human disasters in Iraq and Darfur, the looming calamity of global warming, and many other worldly troubles, it becomes increasingly difficult to know how and how much art matters other than as a speculative commodity. Does it have a spiritual or moral value commensurate with its current commercial worth?

In Venice, more than 70 exhibitions make a contemporary art fan's visit a terrifically exciting treasure hunt. There are big group shows in palatial old buildings in the historic inner city; solo exhibitions in pavilions dedicated to individual nations in the Giardini , the expansive park at the east end of town; and many small shows in locations that will test a visitor's map-reading skills. Whether you are thrilled or disappointed by any one presentation, there's always another to look forward to.

At the center of this nearly overwhelming profusion of artistic exhibitionism is the 52d International Art Exhibition, the show that everyone scrutinizes and opines about most intensely. A sprawling compendium of works by 100 international artists, this year's model was assembled by Robert Storr, the Biennale's first American director.