Today at the Fiera del Levante we visited the visual arts and applied arts pavilions of the Biennale Puglia 2008 and we left greatly impressed by the amount of young talent being showcased here (it’s worth mentioning again that this is a biennial showcasing the work of young artists, from 18-30 years old). It would be impossible to give a full picture of the immense variety of works in the exhibition (and we still haven’t even touched the literature, gastronomy, music, theatre or dance programming) but we wanted to highlight just a few of the many pieces upon which we lingered today.

The theme of the 2008 Biennale is kairos, a term that Luigi Ratclif (President of BJCEM) defines as “the propitious time for change” (see the introduction to the Biennale catalogue). The concept is a strong undercurrent for the Biennale and is reflected in much of the work we saw today and certainly in the energy of the event and its host city.

The visual arts pavilion provided great opportunities to experience some strong video works, for example by Yossi Atia and Itamar Rose (Israel) and Branko Pasic (Croatia). Atia and Rose presented a wry look at the culture of giving in Israel. Pasic’s work, on the other hand, is an aesthetically beautiful piece, a love story set to the sound of car wipers in the rain.

Through her furniture and other design work, Jessy Gemayel (Lebanon/France) endeavours to reveal the memories and heritage of objects. Her glow in the dark wallpaper and surfaces that react to heat and water (such as table tops and floor tiles), provide contemplative moments for the everyday.

Photography was also well represented, with the poignant landscapes of Yanai Toister (Israel) and Minori Matsuoka (Japan/France) making a definite impression.

The pendulum clock Afternoon of Sebnem Ozbe Arikan (Turkey), marks the passing of time with a knife ticking a glass container of water. For the artist, “Afternoon reminds the viewer of the challenges and the need of patience this road to ‘kairos' will entail”.

Bureau des questions, by Canadian Maya Pasternak (living in Israel), provides visitors with an opportunity to pose questions about Israel. They are typed up and posted in the exhibition space for the duration of the Biennale after which they will then travel back to be posed to Israeli audiences.

For more information on the many other artists featured in the Biennale, see the BJCEM website.