To clarify, I am not actually in Venice for the 55th Biennale. I'm scouring the Web. There are always interesting dog artworks there, like Vincent Leow's Andy's Wonder Land in 2007, and Steve McQueen's Giardini in 2009.
So far, the closest I've come to dog artwork is a fox (part of the canine family) in Dutch artist's Mark Manders's Fox/Mouse/Belt. Like me, the piece is not actually at the Biennale. It's on the floor of a mini-mart on the Via Garibaldi near the Giardini. (Via Adrian Searle's Biennale review in the Guardian.)
And here's a Venetian "interacting" with the piece...
I guess Fox/Mouse/Belt was too literal (and material) for the jury this year. The Golden Lion (best in show) went to Berlin-based, British artist Tino Sehgal's performance piece of two people moving around on the ground humming and beat boxing. I'm still trying to find a photo or video of it. Or even a name for the piece. How provincial of me...
Art critic Paddy Johnson is in Venice and has much to discuss.
