Page 22 - Studio International - June 1968

When Rauschenberg won the Biennale

Willi Bongard

A few hours before the official announce­ dealing in modern art a closed shop, who available in the American pavilion would
ment of the prize-winner of the 32nd Venice see the art-market as a great morass and the not be sufficient for a worthy representation
Biennale of 1964 a motor-boat was moored Venice Biennale in particular as a completely of the ninety-nine paintings and sculptures
in front of the former American consulate on corrupt business. The fact that it was a by eight artists that he had chosen.
the Grand Canal. The man at the helm was a 39-year Old American (and a Texan to Then the idea emerged of extending the
little suprised that a camera was repeatedly boot!) who-for the first time in the history American pavilion. but it was feared that
pointed at him. The honour of being photo­ of the Venice Biennale. which goes back to there would not be sufficient time. So
graphed usually falls. in this city of water, to 1895-got the first prize for painting, made Solomon turned to the Biennale Committee
the more expert gondoliers. His boat, ·the whole thing doubly disreputable. and asked whether it might not be possible
Giorgio, was anything but an ornamental The patriarch of Venice. Cardinal Urbani. to accommodate some of the American
one such as might be immortalized in a placed a ban on the Biennale for priests and pictures outside the official exhibition site.
photograph album. He could understand nuns. The Italian president. who usually The Biennale Committee had no objection '--­
still less the interest of the photographer presents the prizes. withdrew in disgust. at least. so Solomon understood their
since what was being carried from the ex­ The Osservatore Romano. the official organ answer. Otherwise he would surely never
consulate and stowed in his boat was of the Vatican. lamented the 'general and have taken the risk of accommodating the
certainly not particularly worth photo­ complete destruction of culture'. The Paris greater part of the :American Biennale entry
graphing; three large pictures. ugly by tradi­ newspaper Combat pilloried 'the insult to the in the building of the former American con­
tional standards of beauty and noticeably merit of artistic creation·. The New York sulate on the Grand Canal. Or could he have
unfinished, which were not even framed. Times thundered · ... the Venice Biennale taken this risk into account? Had he in fact
The good fellow had no idea that he was was such a sideshow of backbiting, politick­ the express assurance that the pictures out­
now loading great art. whose creator. the ing and commercialism that everybody came side the official site would be considered by
American Robert Rauschenberg, was that home from it disgusted'. the jury? On this point opinions differ. The
very day to be awarded the most important But what did the secret transportation of possibility of a misunderstanding. ho'fv'ever.
and most coveted prize of the Venice the three pictures actually have to do with either on the part of the Biennale officials
Biennale. He really had no idea .that in the awarding of the great Biennale prize to or on Solomon's, cannot be ruled out.
transporting these three pictures he was Robert Rauschenberg? The story can be Amongst the jury, who awarded Rauschen­
taking part in a 'conspiracy' that was to told very shortly and it is far less mysterious berg the first prize for painting by four votes
upset the international art world for months than the myths which have been built up to three. there must have been considerable
and to shake people's trust all over the world around it. At any rate it doesn't justify the dissension about whether this allotment of
in the reliability of art dealing. The photo­ uproar that resulted. Unlike most of the big­ the prize could be justified on the strength
grapher on the bank. however. could count ger countries taking part in the Venice of the one picture of Rauschenberg's which
on making a small fortune with his photo­ Biennale. the biggest country of all has at was on the official site. It is in some ways
graphs. A week later his pictures of the secret its disposal one of the smallest pavilions on grotesque that objections were first raised
transportation across the Grand Canal the official exhibition site. This somewhat on that occasion as to whether prizes given
appeared in the press throughout the world. surprising fact was accepted with due by the Biennale are in fact given to the
The dramatic circumstances in which modesty by the New York Museum of artist or his works. In the latter case their
Robert Rauschenberg obtained the first Modern Art. which until 1962 was respon­ deliberations would have been fruitless.
prize for painting at the 32nd Venice sible for the organization of the American Finally they decided-on the eve of the
Biennale have probably engaged the imagi­ Biennale entry. Alan R. Solomon, however. official announcement of the award-to ask
nations of those interested in the events of at one time director of the Jewish Museum, the American Biennale official, Alan R.
the art world as much as any other in this who was in 1964 charged by the U.S. Solomon. to bring at least three more of
century. It was all grist to the mill of those Information Agency with the representation Rauschenberg's works to the exhibition site.
who never tire of bemoaning the com­ at the Biennale. was certainly not prepared to The motor boat Giorgio took care of the
mercialization of modern art. who consider put up with this. He thought that the space rest. even if it was not 'under the cloak of

Contributors to this issue Jasia Reichardt, assistant director of the I.C.A .. Professor P. K. Hoenich, well-known for his
recently made an extended visit to the U.S. in experiments with sun rays, is on the staff of Technion
connexion with the forthcoming I.C.A. exhibition on in Haifa.
'Cybernetic Serendipity', which she is organizing.
John Healey, a veteran in the field of 'light art', is
Albert Lowe, headmaster of a comprehensive
Dr Willi Bongard, an editor of Die Zeit of Hamburg. school in Hull, an educationalist and writer, came to head of Healey Developments.
is author of 'Kunst und Kommerz', recently published know Alfred Wallis, during a boyhood spent in St
by Gerhard Stalling Verlag. Dr Bongard's article Ives. Harold Cohen, one of the British artists selected
constitutes part of Chap. 11 of his book. and is for the 1966 Venice Biennale. is shortly taking up a
published here by kind permission of the author and David Thompson, formerly art critic for The Times, teaching post in the U.S.
the publishers. writes regularly for Queen and Studio International.
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