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| ArtNight Venezia 2013 |
ArtNight Venezia is fast becoming the cultural
summer event around town; this year the organizers—Ca’Foscari Universtiy and
the city of Venice—have chosen Saturday June 22, 2013 for its third edition. From
6 p.m. to 1 a.m. nearly 200 museums, galleries, book stores, concert halls,
churches, educational and cultural centers will turn on their lights and open
their doors to 400 cultural events, and welcome visitors looking to enrich
their curious minds and souls. Free guided tours, concerts, literary readings,
documentary films and musical performances will remind the world, and hopefully
satisfy locals who often feel invaded at home, that Venice isn’t simply a
tourist attraction, but a living, working, breathing conglomeration of magnificent
culture.
I
was one of ArtNight Venezia's 30,000 spectators last year, and the year before.
So, I can testify that it's an event where many of the city's buildings, usually locked
up tight, splash light and life onto Venice’s otherwise dark canals and alleyways;
a special night of the year when a secret part of Venice—the part I consider her
heart—comes to life.
During
ArtNight Venezia:
· You might experience
the sound of a choir spilling onto a campo, leading you up church steps and beyond
heavy wood doors that stretch out like open arms, inviting you inside.
· You might find the
Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista open, and step past the confraternity’s
marvelous marble façade to enter the ground floor Sala delle Colonne, and its quiet
hidden garden. Then climb one of the two monumental staircases to the Salone
Capitolare—the grand room originally built to hold the school’s general assembly.
(I like to imagine this salone filled
with music, masked gents and damsels dancing over the masterfully laid marble
floor.)
· You might visit the
Ateneo Veneto in Campo San Fantin to hear an author read an excerpt from his or
her book, before taking a guided tour of the institution’s library.
· Or you might accidentally
discover a splendid cortile where—with a glass of prosecco placed in your hand—you
settle down on cushion covered marble to watch a contemporary dancer project
her art on a monastery’s 16th century wall.
These
are a few of the events I experienced during ArtNight Venezia. Some are included
in this year’s program, too. A program filled with so many choices that it’s impossible
to see them all. But that’s not the point. You can select and plan your own experiences
or simply walk around town and stumble onto something unexpected. Whichever you
choose, I’m certain you’ll find ArtNight Venezia delightful.
For
full program information browse ArtNight Venezia at http://www.artnight.it/it/eventi
Or Join
ArtNight Venezia on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ArtNightVenezia?ref=ts&fref=ts
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