For the Love of Textiles

Two years ago at the Biennale in Venice I was very impressed by the work of the Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota . Her work 'The key in the hand' was on show in the Japanese pavilion. It was ' The Sensation of the Biennale'. Two old boats were floating in a sea of used keys and the whole space looked like a grotto made from red woolen thread on which keys hang. The keys came from houses all over the world. There were thousends of them.   For Shiota keys means a connection to each other and boats cary people and time. Poetic and political it was. I thought about refugees leaving their homes and crossing the sea in old boats to get off in a safer place to live. About the houses I have lived in in my life. I remember staying there a long time. It was a work of art which came into my mind and probably stays there always when I think of visit to the Biennale in 2015. Until October 25,  Shiota has an exhibition in the Noordbrabants muse...

20.40 hrs. Venice, Railwaystation. We just caught the train back to Vicenza. Venice, Venezia, Bella... We arrived by train round 11 this morning. The last time I was in Venice was about 15 years ago. First we had a meeting at the Ministerio. Very formal and probably not very usefull, but...typical the Italian way... Round 13 hrs...lunch with a foccacia. A small group of 5 (included me) stayed in Venice. We took the vaporetto to San Marco Square. The Canal Grande..The Palazzo's..the colours..all kind of boats...Breathtaking.. All we did was..walk and enjoy..bought a beautiful wool tricot jacket....terrace...walk more..took pictures...more pictures....a Spritz...dinner at a little square where only locals came.... And than...we left with beautiful memories.. Some pictures here...much more on my camera....

I am at Schiphol Airport now. Traveling by plane to Venice and after arriving there traveling to Vicenza. The trip is organized for teachers who's task is to organize International projects or trainings. Flying out today and returning the coming saturday. The days will be filled with visits to schools, firms, fashion-fair in Milan and a cultural day in Venice. It will be busy, but also very interesting. So, this morning we said goodbye at the railwaystation. A little mixed feelings. Very looking forward to go, but also worries how things will go at home. Bram's health isn't good (first research nothing found, another research coming soon), but he promised me that nothing would happen. This morning he said that he could't bear the idea that I would have stayed home for him. So I will call everyday and I know that he is taken good care off by friends and neighbours. Just bougt a book situated partly in Venice (I always buy a book at the airport when I go somewhere) and ...