Watching the historic flooding in Venice this past week and learning of the closure of many of the city’s most important art institutions and spaces, I have been thinking back to the most recent field school and our visit to the Biennale. Many of the artists chosen for the exhibition took up the theme of climate change, and it was only a few weeks after our visit that the debate around overcrowding and “toxic tourism” reached new levels following the crash of a cruise ship into a Venetian dock. I always tell students before taking them to Venice that we can never take such a visit for granted. I firmly believe that the city will likely be underwater or shut down to tourists within our lifetime. As for the art world, the situation in Venice is a real threat to monuments and cultural institutions on a scale that is hard to fully fathom. Paintings, artifacts, drawings, and frescoes are on the frontlines of complete destruction. For those still in denial, perhaps the images of a drowned Venice, and an art city forever lost, will wake them up. If nothing else, the threat of losing all of that beauty will likely compel some into action. Enjoy this week’s links…
