Venice Carnival 2022, Part 2
In this post I’ll be presenting a selection images focussing on masquerade, showing people in full carnival costume at the Venice 2022 Carnival.
The first couple I encountered were literally hanging out and posing in San Mark’s Square on a quiet day in the lead up to Mardi Gras. Notice that the woman is double-masked in that she wears a carnival mask over her eyes and the surgical FFP2 mask currently needed in Venice to access indoor public spaces and any form of transport. He dons a wig and they are both in full 18th Century regalia with the exception of his shades and her mask:
Hair rollers, fur, brocade and lace in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo:
Below, an elaborate headdress, through which a man in masquerade costume is partially revealed:
Intense colours and eerie reflections on the side streets:
A family being filmed near the Rialto:
Strollers on the Zattere:
Long and Curly — a bit Brian May?
Here’s a photo of a man being fitted out in a carnival costume, taken at night:
Feathers, particularly ostrich feathers but also peacock abound in carnival costumes and are part of the mise-en-scène in this period. Below, a person waiting to board a vaporetto boat :
Tourists on the Accademia Bridge:
Peacock feathers at San Marco:
Red and Green:
Feathery extravaganza in Piazza San Marco:
The next three images feature head to toe masquerade — but the tell-tale cellphones anchor the retro style to the 21st century:
The Conversation:
Sinister on the waters
The fancy dress outfits in the following photographs are more contemporary and have comedic elements.
These Italian women had come to Venice for the day to parade around as clowns:
Loved this illusion — an impression that the two guys in mirror shades are being given piggy back rides by men in lederhosen:
Hippies with peace signs who live to tell the tale:
Power Rangers on vino rosso:
Ambiguity:
When I first saw these guys I wasn’t sure if they were actual monks but they had a certain Blues Brothers quality about them that made me realise they were just having fun:
More ambiguity — by night I couldn’t tell if this was religious dress-up or wannabe gunmen in stetsons:
And finally, a character on the vaporetto waterbus whose mask I found particularly disturbing:
Originally published at Mish Aminoff.
