11 Nov

Roaming around Venice, I found myself looking differently.  Things in Venice have a unique twist unlike any other place I’ve experienced.  The essence of this Venetian twist, I believe lies in a certain playfulness.  Venice still functions, but with a humor and serendipity beyond the basic utility of an action.  This play brings forth a new dialogue with what seems a simple task, like finding one’s way through the city.  Where a map normally guides, I found that a gesture of two interlocking hands was a more appropriate way of navigating the city.  Venice itself is a seemingly improbable existence, an island slowly sinking back into the lagoon from where it came. Even the little things, like doorknobs became a chance for a game, shaping buttons into small jesters, lions, and other figurines.  Though some may say these playful additions are superfluous, I’d say its these opportunities that create the special Venetian magic – a completely other way of perceiving how to go about the everyday.