In a post on her excellent blog annienc , Annie replied to a comment by saying ‘ I wonder what, if anything, is still inside.’ She was referring to the Chiesa Sant’ Andrea della Zirada.
I have some photos of this church which was open for an Art Biennale exhibition when I was there in May. So, just for you, Annie, I bring out the family album.
The exhibition presented 20 refrigerators “seen as icons, which will be the subject of reflection regarding issues such as the food and its conservation , art and spirituality”. I have to admit I didn’t understand how the contents of the fridges achieved this aim! And, that’s why I’m not an art critic.
As you enter the church
Don’t ask me. Shrugs shoulders.
With this one, you could fool around with the buttons to open or close the curtain. I wonder if the buttons lasted until the exhibition closed?
This was the choir stall for the nuns. Apparently some of them were a tad, shall we say, full of the joys of life.
Here are the rest of the images I captured on that day.
Hello World 
I am glad I came a second time to see these Images
I believe you are rite don’t get the refrigerator thing
Thank you for your like
As always Sheldon
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I’m glad you came back, Sheldon!
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Great venue for a terrific exhibition. Love the photos.
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Thank you, it was an interesting place, for sure.
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You’re always showing us the things that we do not normally see. I thank you for that.
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Daniel, you know it is my absolute pleasure to unearth some different aspects of Venice. How are you these days? Do you have a trip to Venice in your future?
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It is wonderful to learn about Venice thru You blog. Thank You.
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Thank you, Sartenada. I’ve learned a lot from my visits there, for sure.
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Thank you so much, Yvonne, I can’t tell you how much this post makes me smile! I’d heard that this church has reopened for La Biennale but had no idea what the art was. Refrigerators! Go figure. A modern icon of sorts, I guess. Your photos are fantastic! I’m going to add a link to this post to mine.
Even with the fridges, it still looks like a church inside. Cheers, Annie
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I hope to find it open next month … who knows? And, maybe La Maddalena will be open with presepi. Another who knows!
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Well that is very cool, or odd but definitely a surprise!
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It’s all of the above, Sue. The Art Biennale certainly showcases contemporary art!
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Wp has been acting funny
Thought I better come and see what you were up to
The church is beautiful
As always sheldon
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I’ve been behaving myself, Sheldon! The churches in Venice are crammed full of art work, unless they have been moved to another church or a museum.
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Such a beautiful church…..such a crappy “art” exhibit…..
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Many of the offerings in the Art Biennale are apt to evoke that response, Cynthia. But, you do get the opportunity to get into churches, palazzos, etc. that are normally not open to the public.
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Didn’t mean to be glib, Yvonne, but my years on the faculty of an art college taught (and disillusioned) me about a lot of what passes for art now. Many a Bienniale and exhibit of Conceptual art have I suffered through until I choked on the political correctness of being “open minded” about it and finally learned to say: ” I am not stupid. This is adolescent crap.” I guess if the occasion opens up some of the beautiful churches and monuments that would otherwise be closed to the public, the devil must have his due, and it’s ultimately worthwhile.
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Hmm, as an ex-sculptor I should know where this artist is going, but I struggle. It is Duchamp’s fault originally, but the conceptualists are a mystery and I think only a few of their works actually fulfil the make-you-think-again in 3D criteria.
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Maybe if you had seen the various fridges you would have been able to interpret some of the concepts, Hilary. Well, some of the fridges were beautiful, anyway!
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Probably there are too many churches in the old Venice .They use them as they can . In Jura mountains I saw a church transformed in wine fair !
About the bletting of fruits here is a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bletting
Love ❤
Michel
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You’re right, Michel, the population of Venice is so low now, even the churches that remain open have dwindling, aging congregations.
I have to go and blet some fruit now! 🙂
Baci.
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looked up Annies blog and so surprised by the stuff outside, but somehow got the extra ‘complete’ picture…. thanks for this terrific post Yvonne. Its like topsy turvy land and reminds me of Alice in ‘wonderland’ undated. The fridges in no way left me cold!
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I was so gratified to find the church open, after many years of disappointment.
The fridges … you and your camera would have had such a good time, Gill.
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Seems like a great experience!And different. I loved the daffodils and ‘ghosts’ of the nuns!
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I love the very first photo, cherubs grab my heart, always!
The fridges and the plates? Symbolism of the Last Supper? That’s what I love about art. We each interpret from our own perspective and none of us is wrong.
Can I travel in your suitcase? 😉
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Little chubby cherubs!
Those plates, and the bindings, I just don’t know!
Sure, re: suitcase, as long as you weigh less than 23 kg, and can go without food, etc., for about 30 hours. 🙂
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One third of me will fit… ;(
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Well, decide which 2/3rds you’ll leave behind …
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LOL! ☕️❤️
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The exhibition left me cold.
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Ha ha ha, Bruce.
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You find the coolest stuff!
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Less than 3 weeks until I’ll be prowling around there again.
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This is even stranger than I envisioned, what with the fridges. I think that thing with the plates is a set table, viewed from different angles. What a beautiful old church. Has it been deconsecrated? (okay, weirder question than art exhibit, but I was curious)
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I had one of the pesky tourists with me (the other one was resting up to be able to pesk all the better, I think), so I didn’t take as long as I might have, to explore the artistic offerings. The plates had things like eyes drawn on them …
Yes, it’s one of a legion of deconsecrated churches (or at least, not in use) in Venice.
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Thank you for introducing me to another corner of Venice! The screen in the back is wonderful! I am at a complete loss over the refrigerators. At least it allowed you a peak!
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The church hasn’t been open for many years, so it was a treat to get in there. I hope they’ll be holding more exhibitions in there. The People Mover goes right past the church; it’s interesting to see that, also.
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Have you ridden the people mover? I was interested in the bottom pillars which look to be surrounded by an artistic screen…maybe planted with ivy. If so it will climb up and obscure the columns at ground level, which strikes me as brilliant.
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Yes, I rode the People Mover just to see what it was like, Jane. (It was fun.)
The columns are rather nice looking, not obtrusive, they look rather like stylised trees. I’ll try to remember to go and see if any climbers have been planted. (Maybe not, they could interfere with the rails and mechanism if they got too big.)
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