wyllie O hagan

We are in the hills north of Venice as guests of the Asolo Art Film Festivals Art Director Steve Bisson.

Asolo is a medieval town and has been home and gathering place for artists for hundreds of years. Robert Browning, the English poet was one such resident who gives his name to the Galleria Browning where our solo show of photographs and video installation: Still Life: London is being exhibited.

The festival runs for two weeks in August showing art films and has been Chaired by Attilio Zamperoni for over ten years. It is unique in hosting very well selected art films from all over the world. Participating in the festival gives the opportunity to see within a concentrated period of time, art films of a high calibre.

It is great to be amongst good people who are interested in art and film. We meet them at breakfast, lunch and supper, as well as at the Browning Gallery, and at the evenings screenings. At the end of the day people meet in the square to talk and share a drink together continuing conversations until the early hours of the morning.

We have renewed friendships as well as making new ones. The festival is successful being run by a very small professional hardworking team and jury who are supported by a group of committed volunteers. One of the facilities the team have put in place are communal meals provided by local restaurants shared at trestle tables in the walled garden of Casa Malipiero. Rosanna is the smiling face of this enterprise. Rosanna is helped by her husband and two sons who all give up two full weeks of their Summer to provide food and good cheer to us all.

There has been a great response to Still Life: London with people avidly asking a multitude of questions about its meaning and techniques as well as giving very personal insights to their experience of it. We wonder if that is because the work uses familiar images of family activities and objects, people may feel more able to relate to the language of the imagery and meaning. People have commented that they were glad to be reminded in these austere and troubled times that there is room to still enjoy the small moments of pleasure. People take delight in the photographs and video of home environment and afternoon tea. They are intrigued by the vivid images of English jelly, asking many questions about what it was. We surprised guests at the Exhibition Opening by serving jelly to adults and children alike. This which went down a treat.

On the subject of food, whilst in Italy, we have set ourselves a challenge of sampling all of the ice-cream flavours in the Gelateria Browning, which is five doors up the street from the gallery. Francesco Zandonadi make his own ice-cream from local fresh ingredients that taste divine. We are a third of the way through but Denise is stuck on the coffee and Clare is stuck on raspberry.

Wyllie O Hagan

Denise Wyllie and Clare O Hagan

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