Maverick Life Launch Edition: 2019 Venice Biennale

No Images? [Click here]( Welcome to Maverick Life Dear Reader, Earlier this year, we quietly launched Maverick Life, the home of lifestyle stories on Daily Maverick. Our hope – following our time spent documenting, interrogating and reporting on South African art, design, décor, and fashion in our previous lives as editors of different magazines – was to create a digital publication that would shift, shape and lead the conversation; a holistic approach to lifestyle, luxury and culture. [Maverick Life]( was born. We are bringing you short and in-depth features, profiles and interviews, but also web series like [The Artistry]( – a celebration of the work of skilled artisans, designers, artists, craftsmen and women across the continent; or [Structure & Culture](, where we talk to leading African architects about buildings they consider significant... and so much more. In our first newsletter, we’re talking all things Venice Biennale which starts this weekend, and focusing on the South African pavilion. We’ve also selected our top stories for your weekend read. Enjoy! Emilie Gambade (Editor) & Malibongwe Tyilo (Associate Editor) The South African Pavilion at the 58th La Biennale di Venezia Dubbed The stronger we become, it showcases the works of artists Dineo Seshee Bopape, Tracey Rose and Mawande Ka Zenzile in a three-person exhibition. Why the title: The Stronger We Become? It references the protest song (Something Inside) So Strong, written by British singer and songwriter Labi Siffre in February 1987, in response to apartheid South Africa. So, is the work presented about protest? No, not really, but it is about social resilience and resistance, post-1994 South Africa and “historically-centered themes of land, dispossession, and institutional knowledge and power”. [MASTERING THE ART OF DUALITY]( Clash de Cartier possesses an innate sense of proportion that draws on pure Cartier style. In volumes and reliefs, circles and squares, the collection honours the Maison’s penchant for geometry. What is a biennale anyway? In Daily Maverick’s Brooks Spector’s words: “The Venice Biennale began in 1895. It originally was part of the great wave of popular world’s fairs – only it would be a fair with a difference – recurring and eschewing modern industrial developments. In Venice’s case, participating nations could show off their unique architectural (and later artistic) developments in a great tide of work from the rest of the world. Over time, the Venice Biennale has evolved into one of the world’s most prestigious – and most lavish international art shows”. Wait, what does biennale mean again? It means “every other year”, so events that happen every two years. So, the Venice Biennale is only every second year? Well yes but… No! The Biennale is about art, architecture (since 1980), cinema, dance, music and theatre – but it alternates every other year between art and architecture, so it effectively happens every year. Ah, ok. Now, when did South Africa first participate? In 1950! The pavilion was in the Giardini (the public gardens), a section in the east of Venice that now hosts the foreign halls of the Biennale. Great to see that South Africa was part of the Biennale for so long! Er... South Africa was actually excluded from the Venice Biennale in 1970, following anti-apartheid protests. It was only back in 1993. Was the Biennale always themed? The first themed Biennale was in 1972, titled “Work or Behaviour”. What is the theme this year? May You Live In Interesting Times. The expression is often being mentioned in reference to an ancient Chinese curse although there is no proof of such curse. Go figure. The Biennale’s President Paolo Baratta says, “the theme evokes the idea of challenging or even ‘menacing’ times, but it could also simply be an invitation to always see and consider the course of human events in their complexity". Is it a thing? Of course it is! The Venice Biennale has been dubbed “the Olympics of the Art World” and if you consider that in 2011, the South African Department of Arts and Culture took a long-term lease in the historical space in the Arsenale to host South Africa for the alternating art and architecture biennales, it is, indeed, a “thing”. It is also the only biennale the South African Department of Arts and Culture pays for; to attend other biennale, artists and galleries have to find private funding. Wow, that’s amazing! Yes, except that in 2018, South Africa pulled out of the biennale (architecture), because - says the Department of Arts & Culture - applications “did not adhere to all the policy requirements” - allegedly throwing away an estimated [R1.5 million]( that is spent yearly to lease the space. Ouch. Is South Africa only present through the pavilion? Roll drums because this year, South African artists Zanele Muholi and Kemang Wa Lehulere are among the artists who also participate in the Biennale's main exhibition, curated by Ralph Rugoff! Are there other African countries at the Biennale? Eight in total including South Africa. For the first time, Madagascar and Ghana will be at the Biennale, along with Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Seychelles. Want to know more? [Read our interview with Nkule Mabaso and Nomusa Makhubu]( - curators of the South African pavilion at the Venice Biennale - here. [MASTERING THE ART OF DUALITY]( Pushing the limits of the Maison’s historic signatures – the stud, clou carrés and beads – Clash de Cartier is a highly complex feat of craftsmanship. Money Talk R1,5 million: the yearly lease for the building that hosts the South African pavilion for the next 12 years, called Torre di Porta Nuova, in the Arsenale R2.9 million: The budget for this year’s exhibition €25: How much it will cost you for one entrance to the Giardini and Arsenale sections ART Barca Nostra and Migrant Deaths at Sea – When Art Shames Reality The doomed migrant ship Barca Nostra (Our Boat) was opened to the public at the 58th La Biennale di Venezia in Italy this past weekend. One of the supporters of the project explains why the world can no longer ignore the collective failure Barca Nostra symbolises. [Read]( the poignant story by Alistair Harris. ARCHITECTURE Structure and Culture: A building that divided people even before apartheid laws were enforced When the original Rex Trueform building was erected in 1938 in Salt River as one of the leading manufacturing factories in Cape Town, its modernist style stood out among the neoclassical buildings of the time in the city. In our new series, Structure and Culture, we chat to leading African architects about buildings they consider significant; we explore how these structures shape and influence human interactions, perceptions and behaviours. Watch the video [here.]( ART The Fynbos After The Fire When a fire blazes across Table Mountain, one of the few benefits is the germination of dormant fynbos seeds. In fact, without fire, fynbos would gradually die out. It’s one of nature’s most powerful allegories: that out of something so violent, so destructive and so powerful, can come something so beautiful, so unique, so precious. This is what I was thinking about when I went to interview Lorraine Loots, miniature artist extraordinaire, Instagram sensation and my friend of 10 years. Read Fran Beighton's story [here.]( RELATIONSHIPS In praise of trust and conditional love Trust: It could be the most vital language you’ll exchange with anyone – from spouses to business partners. Yet it’s easy to overlook how precious it is because we often take it for granted that others not only share our values but see our vulnerability. [Click here]( to read the story by clinical psychologist, Stefan Blom. MAVERICK MAPPER In Washington DC, exploring the city is a must In 2019, three years into Trump’s presidency, considering a trip to the US capital as a glamorous and peaceful holiday might be a bittersweet dichotomy. But if you manage to avoid the White House and its proximity (and in doing so, lowering your chance of bumping into President Donald J Trump), Washington DC can truly turn into an entertaining and informative holiday. Read more [here.]( FASHION What kind of puffery is this? The rise and rise of the puffer jacket From the slopes to the streets to the closets of the elites, the puffer shows no signs of slowing down. Earlier this year, the 21st of February to be exact, Moncler, the Italian apparel and lifestyle brand label founded in 1952 and initially known for their skiing and mountaineering outerwear, and more recently, as a luxury activewear brand, unveiled a series of avant-garde puffer styles as part of their [Moncler Genius]( project. Read more [here.]( WELLNESS The Well, the Will, the Bill As the wellness industry continues to grow, and wellness fads come and go, access to the latest trends cannot be dissociated from individual economic realities. Read more [here.]( THEATRE REVIEW Vlismas is brave, honest, cripplingly funny in ‘The End’ ‘The End’ is an entertaining, often surprising lecture as well as stand-up comedy. Read Lesley Stone's review [here.]( ML SELECTS A limited-edition Ikea collection celebrating local talents Since 2014, IKEA, the Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture company, has released a one-off collection of limited-edition pieces every year. These pieces are the result of a collaboration between their in-house design team and international creative visionaries. At Design Indaba 2019, IKEA’s latest limited-edition design collaboration ÖVERALLT was unveiled, boasting a 33-piece collection created by 10 designers across Africa. Read the story by Nicole Williamson [here.]( Not into the Biennale? Watch: The Artistry – Thebe Magugu, the young designer who also turns nightmares into fantastical garments On the last Thursday of March, Thebe Magugu’s schedule is frantic: he has been named the winner of the International Fashion Showcase; he is a finalist in the highly coveted LVMH Prize and he is getting ready for South African Fashion Week (SAFW), just a few days away, where he will be showcasing his latest collection. In our new video series, The Artistry, we meet Magugu to discuss the creativity, imagination and the work that he brings to his collections. [Click here]( to watch the video. Copyright 2019 Daily Maverick, All Rights Reserved. You are receiving this mail because you are awesome and on the Maverick Life subscriber list. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Share]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](