The three people you meet in Venice

It is hard to differentiate the hundreds of people we pass by at work and in the city each day, but amidst that cloud of swirling, faceless "buongiorno"s and "grazie"s there are just those few clumps of people that linger for a little while more. 

The Clueless Tourist
" What is this?" is possibly the most Frequently Asked Question we get while working at the pavilion. 
Perhaps its the title on the signboard outside,steps leading into the dark, or the noise and wisps of smoke (cloud) leaking out, that bestows The Cloud of Unknowing this curious, highly mysterious aura. Many of the visitors we get are not aware of the Biennale, or are just passing by from the Dali Museum/Gondola point adjacent to us, and are pleasantly surprised that it is free to enter. It is most gratifying when these people who happened to chance upon the pavilion rave about how they enjoyed the film very much, as it's always nice to know that accessible art has that power to reach out to the viewer, and that The Cloud has left an indelible mark on their memories of Venice just as they have on mine. 


The Presumptuous Salesman 
He is a relatively young male working in a shop near San Marco Square, and goes "Ni hao! (pause) Konnichiwa!" and wraps his arms around our shoulders as we enter the store. While subtly shuffling out of his unwelcome embrace we can only view his possibly sincere, friendly smile as a self-congratulatory smirk at using what he thinks is our native tongue. This happens everywhere, and frankly it gets rather annoying. But as we walk around Venice, you see shop signs sporting Japanese characters, hoards of Chinese trotting around with their designer purchases, and realize that it is just a (rather tacky) tactic they picked up to adapt to that influx of Asian consumers in recent years,just as how people adopted the English language as universal in the era of Western hegemony. And you somehow know, when you see the ubiquitous Chinese Salesman in Italian luxury brand outlets- who have limited knowledge of English or Italian but speak perfect mandarin- that Asia is taking over the world.


The Beggars in San Marco
There is the elderly lady in a flowery headscarf by a bridge near the Square and another much younger-looking one with almost half her face covered in hair. Both wail softly to the same sad song as they rock back and forth, peering beseechingly into your eyes as they hold up their half-empty cup for alms. There is only so much one person can do, donating a euro or two, and I can't help but marvel at the ironic juxtaposition of the beggars opposite a whole row of high-end branded stores. It was always discomforting to walk by them. Especially so when crowds before you just pass them by, insouciantly, purchases in hand. A very stark, disconcerting reminder that That is inequality, and no matter how affluent a society grows as a whole, there will always be those who are left behind.

It has been such a fantastic six weeks here at the pavilion, the Biennale, in Venice. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to have lived and worked in this city before it is submerged- not just by rising water levels, but by the sheer weight of tourists and tourism almost physically sinking the place and its inhabitants. We were privileged to have a comfortable apartment, to have eaten and lived well, and Venice was a beautiful place to be in- but sadly, probably only to those who could afford it.


Arrivederci


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