Et al makes splash in Venice
Courtesy of NZ Herald
By Rachel Helyer Donaldson
Despite controversy surrounding the selection of the artist collective known as et al as New Zealand's 51st Venice Biennale representative, initial reaction to the exhibition appears favourable.
Et al makes splash in Venice 11.06.05
Dark vision draws glowing praise 15.06.05
Image: et al, the fundamental practice, New Zealand at the 51st Venice Biennale. (Photo: Jennifer French)
Read on for National Radio reportage from Venice.Courtesy of NZ Herald
By Rachel Helyer Donaldson
Despite controversy surrounding the selection of the artist collective known as et al as New Zealand's 51st Venice Biennale representative, initial reaction to the exhibition appears favourable.
Et al makes splash in Venice 11.06.05
Dark vision draws glowing praise 15.06.05
Image: et al, the fundamental practice, New Zealand at the 51st Venice Biennale. (Photo: Jennifer French)
Read on for National Radio reportage from Venice.Lynn Freeman talks to Josie McNaught in Venice
Transcript: Friday 10 June 2005
Radio NZ "What's Going On?"
Presenter (Lynn Freeman): Time now to cross to Venice and Josie McNaught who's seen the installation by the much and feverishly debated et al collective, New Zealand's contribution to the Venice Biennale. Good morning, Josie.
Josie McNaught (arts reporter): Oh, good morning, Lynn.
Presenter: Oh dear for you. So what did you see first of all? What did they come up with?
McNaught: Oh, the et al installation? Well yeah, it's - to be quite honest you know, it was better than I thought it was going to be. I had my doubts about quite how it would come together because on paper it certainly just didn't look like it was going to work. But I've got to say, once you're in it, it certainly has an effect on you.
There's an incredible computer-controlled sound system which you'd have to be deaf and blind not to really be taken in by it and absorbed by it. And, you know, it kind of works on that level I guess.
Presenter: You're still not sounding wildly enthusiastic, Josie. It may be because it's six o'clock in the morning over there but -
McNaught: Well, it is and in the interests of, you know, research, we did attend a party thrown by the Germans last night.
Presenter: Oh, there you go, that explains it all. What is it about? Can you encapsulate it?
McNaught: It's about the negative aspects of fundamentalism, basically, and how's that permeates and gets into people's lives and dictates their lives. It's kind of a negative and slightly repressive sort of view of the world, really, yeah. You know, it's not terribly optimistic.
Presenter: Did you - did you like it?
McNaught: You know, it's that control and management and things. Did I like it? I don't know if I liked it. I was certainly a lot more kind of moved by it than I thought I would be, yeah. I don't know if like is quite the right word for her work but you certainly did get embedded in it and you got quite involved in it when you were there, and that was great.
But I think this incredible sound that they had going on the whole time - these voices that come and these texts that she found - all roll over and over and the music comes, and drums and so the whole show is - you know, you're not left alone for a minute and it's all crashing around you.
Presenter: Any hints yet on what critics, reviewers from other countries think of it because apparently there's a lot of interest in it?
McNaught: There's a lot of interest in it, I can't believe it. Compared to 2003, it's amazing. They all seem to love it. It's exactly what they want to see. They think it's of a very high standard. It's definitely, you know, top of their picks of shows outside the Biennale. Certainly, I was talking to Robert Storr who chose her when he came over to judge the Walters Prize and he was really, really impressed. And a lot of people I spoke to - because the main exhibition area only opened to the press yesterday, and if you're going to go out of the Giardini then New Zealand was the show that people wanted to go to first before they went to the main areas. So there seemed to be a sort of a buzz. There was a much more sophisticated marketing plan in place for this show than last time.
Presenter: That's interesting because there were so many critics, Josie, weren't there, about 'Oh, we shouldn't be sending that, it's not up to standard'. It seems to have got off to an encouraging start?
McNaught: Yeah, it's certainly up to standard. I mean, a lot of these all said to me it's not what they expected to see from New Zealand. When you talk to them their minds are all mixed up with - those with more of a people-on-the-street reaction, but it is definitely more tied up with New Zealand as it's marketed as a tourist sort of place.
Presenter: Any sign of the elusive et al artists themselves?
McNaught: Oh well, yeah, she's there, she's there. She was there last night. She's not - she is doing some interviews by email.
Presenter: [laughter] Really? Not great for radio, email interviews, you know.
McNaught: Exactly, and nothing on camera. But, yeah, she was definitely there and so - I mean, she had a great team behind her of people putting that show together. She really did, so they worked very hard and, well, they should be proud of it. Compared to what's on offer, it definitely stacks up against what's on offer, which is the highly contemporary, highly conceptual sort of work.
You go in and walk around for five minutes, which is all a lot of people have got here at this time, and something will happen to you. You know, your ears will pop and your eyes will take it in and whether you understand it all, of course, is a whole different ballgame really.
Presenter: Unforgettable and making an impression, that's what we want for our money. Josie McNaught, thank you very much. Go back to bed. Josie reporting from the Venice Biennale.
ENDS
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