Lin Utzon painting in Mallorca in the company of her dog Luchu, photo Jean Marie Del Moral

It was the opening of the Venice biennale for architecture and the canals were swarming with architects dressed in black, who had come from all over the world, so Lin Utzon’s vernissage was attended by guests from ten different nationalities. Friends had travelled from Copenhagen where she was born, Sydney where she grew up and Mallorca where she lives. All cities and island surrounded by water, an element of nature that means so much to her. Her exhibition « Cosmic dance II »(after the first one at Musée de la Chasse in Paris) is at Fondazione Cini until September 18.

Lin Utzon’s studio in Mallorca, photo Jean Marie Del Moral

Denmark’s minister of culture, Bertel Haader, said how proud he was that each visitor who comes through Copenhagen airport, first sees Lin’s ceramic murals when he arrives. Edmund Capon, former director of the Art gallery of New South Wales, and a great Chinese scholar, said that the nature in black and white painted by Lin reminds him of Chinese ink landscapes. He added that Sydney would not be the same without her art and how much he loves her freedom of style, the journey on which she embarks and her quest for “eternal ecstasy”.

Edmund Capon gave a hilarious, relaxed and brilliant speech under Bertel Haader’s eye

Savanah and Mia, Lin Utzon’s grand daughters in front of a wall of her black and white paintings

Fondazione Cini, left of San Giorgio, as seen from the Dogana

The show takes place on the island of San Giorgio and a dinner followed the opening at the adjacent yacht club which overlooks the bay of Venice.

And Lin Utzon’s ladies danced away at sunset

What was most amusing was to see Lin Utzon’s three grand children play around the terracotta black and white statues and vases which they have learned not to break. The huge room at Fondazione Giorgio Cini was filled with an island of ceramic dancing vases, while their giant counterparts were standing majestically outside, facing sailboats and San Marco. On the walls, the black and white paintings are stunning.

Venice from the bridge of the Academia

This festive event led all the guests to visit Venice for a few days and I went on to celebrate writer Joseph Kanon’s birthday with his wife, literary agent Robin Straus and his publisher Judith Curr and husband, architect Ken Kennedy. He is working on a new novel about Moscow. If you haven’t read “Leaving Berlin”, do!

Judith Curr, Robin Straus, Joseph Kanon and Ken Kennedy at La Calcina on the Zattere

In the meantime, Architectural Record magazine editor Cathleen Mc Guigan, was hosting a large party with the American pavilion at Peggy Guggenheim’s house on the Grand Canal. Guests could be seen from the vaporetto, enjoying their “spumante” on the white terraces.
My discovery of the week was the beautiful gallery at Palazzo  Cini (next to Peggy Guggenheim) which houses paintings by Guardi, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca and Pontormo, Gothic ivories and enamel copper plates made in Venice in the Renaissance. Born in Ferrare, this amazing businessman who founded the Adriatic navigation company, collected all his life. The house which is still lived in by the family, has kept its atmosphere and I loved being far from the « crowds in shorts » for a few hours.

“Cibele” by Guardi at Palazzo Cini

Venice has a reputation for bad restaurants but I was fortunate to be taken to Harry’s Dolci, on the Giudecca, where « vitello tonato » was as perfect as in my remembrances. The pale green linen tablecloths, the orange colored Pritz  and the charming old-fashioned waiters, were the best that Italy can provide. Ostaria Boccadoro, on Campo Widman near Teatro Malibran, was another find for excellent fish. We ate outside with a group of fancy New York architects and the piazza was ours for the night.

David Berridge and Cathleen Mc Guigan at Lin Utzon’s opening

The magic of Venice operated once more and Lin Utzon was beaming with joy after a year of preparation: none of her 250 ceramics nor 400 paintings had suffered from the long trip from Mallorca and she had conquered yet another jewel maritime city !

(Cosmic Dance II, Fondazione Cini, San Giorgio, until September 18)