1. Professional

Venice

In July 2009, I was invited to present a paper and workshop--"The Visual Made Verbal: Access to the Arts for People Who Are Blind via Audio Description"--to the International Conference on the Arts in Society in Venice, Italy. I welcomed the chance to be a part of this group of arts scholars. Generally, though, the attendees seemed to be relatively unaware of arts access issues and ways in which access can represent aesthetic innovation.

Indeed, Italy is not among leading nations in the area of disability access--and Venice, of course, presents particular challenges for people who use wheelchairs (or if you have luggage and there are more than a few bridges between where you disembark the vaporetto and your hotel).

Unfortunately, after a guided tour of the Venice Biennale (decidedly inaccessible to visitors who are blind), I expressed the concern at a roundtable and the general inaccessibility of Venice was cited. I immediately responded that the arts could lead--could show Venice the way. (I'm in the process of preparing a formal access proposal to the Biennale.)

Nonetheless, Venice is a unique city that I had only experienced once before, many years ago. Come cruise its canals with me!
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  • Aboard the vaporetto from Marco Polo Airport to San Marco Square in Venice--a 90-minute trip, but only about 13 Euro (as opposed to 95 Euro for a private water taxi--a speed boat).

    Aboard the vaporetto from Marco Polo Airport to San Marco Square in Venice--a 90-minute trip, but only about 13 Euro (as opposed to 95 Euro for a private water taxi--a speed boat).

  • From the vaporetto--the Church of San Michele on San Michele Island, a burial site for such notables as Ezra Pound, Sergei Diaghilev and Igor Stravinski.

    From the vaporetto--the Church of San Michele on San Michele Island, a burial site for such notables as Ezra Pound, Sergei Diaghilev and Igor Stravinski.

  • Also from the vaporetto--a Biennale refugee?

    Also from the vaporetto--a Biennale refugee?

  • Hotel Ala, my home in Venice.

    Hotel Ala, my home in Venice.

  • Next to the hotel, Chiesa (church) Santa Maria del Giglio.

    Next to the hotel, Chiesa (church) Santa Maria del Giglio.

  • Ah Venice and its manly gondoliers!  I tried in vain to locate the sole female gondolier (recently licensed and reported on world-wide)
--her male counterparts refused to acknowledge that she existed!

    Ah Venice and its manly gondoliers! I tried in vain to locate the sole female gondolier (recently licensed and reported on world-wide) --her male counterparts refused to acknowledge that she existed!

  • More gondola images ...

    More gondola images ...

  • More gondola images ...

    More gondola images ...

  • A gondola jam ... just under the "Bridge of Sighs" (more on that later).

    A gondola jam ... just under the "Bridge of Sighs" (more on that later).

  • Time for a break.

    Time for a break.

  • View of the Piazza San Marco (San Marco Square).

    View of the Piazza San Marco (San Marco Square).

  • Exterior of the San Marco Basilica.

    Exterior of the San Marco Basilica.

  • Exterior of the Basilica.

    Exterior of the Basilica.

  • San Marco Square--the Doge's Palace in the foreground, the byzantine Basilica in the rear (by day).

    San Marco Square--the Doge's Palace in the foreground, the byzantine Basilica in the rear (by day).

  • San Marco Square--the Doge's Palace in the foreground, the byzantine Basilica in the rear (by night).

    San Marco Square--the Doge's Palace in the foreground, the byzantine Basilica in the rear (by night).

  • A facade to the Basilica

    A facade to the Basilica

  • The Column of San Marco (at the main entrance to Venice from the sea).

    The Column of San Marco (at the main entrance to Venice from the sea).

  • The arches along one wing of the Piazza.

    The arches along one wing of the Piazza.

  • Torre dell'Orologio

    Torre dell'Orologio

  • The top o' the Torre

    The top o' the Torre

  • Pigeons flock around a toddler.

    Pigeons flock around a toddler.

  • Musicians of the "Quadri Cafe" in the Piazza.

    Musicians of the "Quadri Cafe" in the Piazza.

  • Musicians of the "Quadri Cafe" in the Piazza.

    Musicians of the "Quadri Cafe" in the Piazza.

  • Nearby--"Harry's Bar"--said to be a haunt of Ernest Hemingway.

    Nearby--"Harry's Bar"--said to be a haunt of Ernest Hemingway.

  • A few of these signs can be found ... the bags are *everywhere*!

    A few of these signs can be found ... the bags are *everywhere*!

  • One vendor's casual attitude to the workday ...

    One vendor's casual attitude to the workday ...

  • Gran Teatro La Fenice--and just my luck:  Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra was performing that night!

    Gran Teatro La Fenice--and just my luck: Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra was performing that night!

  • Gran Teatro La Fenice

    Gran Teatro La Fenice

  • Gran Teatro La Fenice

    Gran Teatro La Fenice

  • Wynton 'n' me!

    Wynton 'n' me!

  • On the way to the Biennale ....

    On the way to the Biennale ....

  • At the entrance to the 53rd Venice Biennale, Giardini-- "Making Worlds" -
Chen Zhen (China), "Back to Fullness, Face to Emptiness," 1997

    At the entrance to the 53rd Venice Biennale, Giardini-- "Making Worlds" - Chen Zhen (China), "Back to Fullness, Face to Emptiness," 1997

  • The central pavillion (fronted by a seascape image by artist John Baldessari designed to make the building appear to disappear into the ocean).

    The central pavillion (fronted by a seascape image by artist John Baldessari designed to make the building appear to disappear into the ocean).

  • Yoko Ono (Japan), "Instructions pieces," 1960-2009

    Yoko Ono (Japan), "Instructions pieces," 1960-2009

  • Yoko Ono (Japan), "Instructions pieces," 1960-2009

    Yoko Ono (Japan), "Instructions pieces," 1960-2009

  • Yoko Ono (Japan), "Instructions pieces," 1960-2009

    Yoko Ono (Japan), "Instructions pieces," 1960-2009

  • Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

    Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

  • Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

    Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

  • Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

    Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

  • Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

    Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

  • Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

    Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

  • Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

    Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), "Galaxies Forming Along Filaments, like Droplets Along Strands of a Spider's Web," 2009

  • Richard Wentworth (Samoa), "Untitled," 2009

    Richard Wentworth (Samoa), "Untitled," 2009

  • Richard Wentworth (Samoa), "Untitled," 2009

    Richard Wentworth (Samoa), "Untitled," 2009

  • Michio Yoshihara (Japan), "Sakuhin" (Work), 1965

    Michio Yoshihara (Japan), "Sakuhin" (Work), 1965

  • Nathalie Djurberg (Sweden), "Experimentet," 2009

    Nathalie Djurberg (Sweden), "Experimentet," 2009

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