Venice Biennale 2013 - abstract concepts

 Another strand in the theme of the bienniale apart from obsessively cataloging the real world, was the attempt by artists and non artists to obsessively represent the world of abstract concepts and supernatural phenomena.

This was clear in the work of Augustin Lesage below. He created over 800 works between 1911 and 1952 after he heard voices while he was working in a mine. 

The voices were those of Leonardo da Vinci, his sister etc and they guided his hand in his painting. These were HUGE works - his first work was 9 square meters.

One of the the center pieces of the beinnale was The Red book by Carl Jung - a 205-page manuscript written and illustrated by Jung between approximately 1914 and 1930.  During the sixteen years he worked on the book, Jung developed his theories of archetypes, collective unconscious, and individuation.

The book is written in calligraphic text and contains many illuminations many of which were on display.