I’ll be the first to forewarn that this post is rife with unwarranted self-righteousness and self-entitlement. Proceed at your own peril. Now, let’s talk about the service in the food industry in Venice. There are many reasonable complaints by waitresses and workers in the United States because the system of tipping leads to…
Identifying Otherness in the Tense Air of Venice
In the midst of the migrant crisis in Europe, I have begun to question what type of “foreigner” I really am. I have never travelled to Europe before and so I really had no idea what to expect. I thought my knowledge of traveling to the African continent would help me understand European cities, but…
Pavilion of Cuba: Lost in Isolation
When I first walked in to the Pavilion of Cuba, I was fascinated by how large the building was for such a small country. From the very little that I know about Cuba, I expected a much smaller venue and art that did not have the same funding as other pavilions such as USA or…
Vignette Set #1
Hidden World + Creepy Crawlies There are in fact around 100 different species of arthropod — a category that includes spiders, insects, centipedes, and mites — that inhabit the average American home, according to the results of a biodiversity survey published in the journal PeerJ on Jan. 19 -Business Insider There have been many films and novels…
Australian Pavilion: Tracey Moffatt My Horizon
Tracey Moffatt is an aboriginal artist known for her photo narrative creations. They are often highly staged as in her new work for the Australian pavilion. My Horizon is about human journeys and histories with elements of fiction. It is comprised of two photo series, Passage, and Body Remembers, and two video installations The White Ghost Sailed In and Vigil. The…
Erwin Wurm’s “One Minute Sculptures”: Accessible Art?
In response to the global art world’s elitism, the criteria of accessibility is becoming increasingly discussed in regards to contemporary artistic production. Art works confronting the barriers that hinder individuals and communities from experiencing or appreciating art, such as socio-economic class, level of education and geographic location, are prioritized in a globalizing world that values…
Venezia!
Over the past two weeks since we have arrived in Venice I been absorbing the city and mulling over what I enjoy and what has been difficult about being a traveler here. When arriving here, immediately after stepping out of the train station, you are confronted with the first of many beautiful scenes of the…
Hedonic Responses to Nourishment: Effects of the Cannoli on the Human Mind
The body of research concerning the neurobiological effects of Italian pastries is ever growing. In recent years, researchers have found that Cannolis induce an altered state in human beings, which involves a process that researchers are calling “Cannolification.” We’ve collected data on what occurs inside the minds of people that have been Cannolified, and use this data…
The Venetian Sound and the Pervasiveness of The English Language (Part 1)
The starchy smell of bread. The savory and electrifying sensation of a cannoli. The steadfast hum of the canal. Venice sings, dances and combines the scent of sweet desserts and mouth – watering meals. It is an experiential city, where the food, archaic buildings, distinct city buzz and interactions with locals provide a medium for the…