VENICE and New Orleans appear to be matched, fate-wise. (They’re both constantly in danger of disappearing underwater, in case you didn’t catch our clever point.)
So, why shouldn’t they both have fabulous biennial art shows, famous the world over?
Venice has already got that handled. Now, New Orleans is giving the idea a go.
The Big Easy’s Prospect.1, in its first year, is no half-hearted attempt. It features 81 artists from 38 countries in 22 sites, ranging from abandoned homesteads in the Lower 9th Ward to derelict Colton School and the august New Orleans Museum of Art.
For the next two months, the entire set-up’s completely free. Just register for a pass at one of the participating museums. There’s even a gratis shuttle between all the sites.
Several NY-based artists have been tapped to show. Surfer dude artist Fred Tomaselli’s resin-coated, multi-colored canvases here make Mardi Gras beads look low-key ; Kalup Linzy, who makes soap opera-esque videos where he plays most parts and dubs in all the voices – part Family Guy, part Bold and the Beautiful.
Handyman-cum-artist Paul Villinski turned a FEMA trailer into a self-sufficient artist studio in the Lower 9th Ward. Nearby, Wangechi Mutu’s ghost house, made from beams and fairy lights, is a comment on the locals who were stiffed their rebuilding funds (she’s selling prints to help rehouse the homesteader on who site her work stands)
Prospect.1 runs through Jan. 19; more information at http://www.prospectneworleans.org