I obtained a "clear" water sample in front of the Palazzo Zenobio (the Armenian and Iceland Pavilions were located here) because it was very easy to reach the water which I had avoided touching at all costs prior to this moment. Out came the bright green gloves and the vial Nate Larson gave me.
There are now three preconceived notions I have had in life that continue to strike me as astounding how wrong I was before trying them: 1) swim caps keep your hair dry when lap swimming (wrong), 2) snowshoes enable you to glide effortlessly on top of the snow (wrong), and 3) when you acquire a sample of ugly, disgusting water, it should look ugly and disgusting - not clear (wrong).
As the sample ever so surprisingly looked transparent (and this was my best opportunity to float something within very close range of the Biennale), out came my a postcard. I chose Barton Springs for the obvious reason of matching monochromes.
... and it nosedived so quickly to the bottom of the canal that I barely had time to take a photograph of it (yes, that's it looking like a condom in the middle). I was disappointed! All my tests floated so well. My main conclusion that the only thing I could do was try again and it would be on the canal on the island of Certosa in front of the Rebel exhibition that was actually showing Ed Ruscha's artwork.
