THE FUSE

When I visited the Venice Biennale this summer, I felt puzzled by most of the art I saw. Most of us ask ourselves, “What does this mean?”—not just with art, but with many things in life and work. We want to work things out right away, but that can lead us astray. Sometimes, it’s better to wait before judging something new.
For example, when I walked through Lubaina Himid’s exhibition in the British Pavilion, I was drawn in by the lively colours, energy, and bold brushstrokes in her paintings. Still, I felt confused by what the figures were doing and by the symbols on the sides. I tried to work them out. What were the figures doing? What did the symbols mean? What was Himid trying to say?