Just when you thought the United States presidential race was crowded enough, Sharon Stone has decided to run for the White House. The Hollywood star has ditched her Democrat sympathies and hired George Bush's former ad guru for her Republican campaign. She has also convinced her friend, the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, to stand for the Democrats. But to witness this battle of tinseltown politico v Parisian charmer you will have to attend the world's most important arts festival, the Venice Biennale, which opens next week.In one of the most talked-about works of the Biennale, the Italian video installation artist Francesco Vezzoli has created two 2008 White House campaigns, Democrazy. Amazingly, some of Washington's top political advisers rushed to take part. Stone's campaign ad has been produced by Mark McKinnon, Bush's top advertising strategist in 2004, who is senior adviser to Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. Meanwhile, Levy, known as "BHL", was managed and directed by Bill Clinton's advertising gurus from 1996.
BHL initially kept quiet about his part in the project, only confiding in his friend Ségolène Royal, who ran for the French presidency last month. A fan of the US but harbouring reservations about the Iraq war, he rewrote the White House party political broadcast that was prepared for him adding his own comments on gun laws, the health service, the death penalty and Guantánamo. His advisers conceded, but insisted he wore a tie. In France, where BHL's chest is an institution and his navel-grazing open white shirts regularly prompt "how low can he go" debates, this fashion departure made it onto news bulletins.
The French philosopher was once hailed by Vanity Fair as "Superman and prophet: we have no equivalent in the United States". But even though the House of Representatives has long returned "French" fries to their canteen menu, he faces a hard task to convince as his fake persona, "Patrick Hill". Stone poses as rival "Patricia Hill" in a power-suit and helmet hair in front of a "Make America Strong" logo. The Washington advisers mocked-up positive campaign ads as well as adverts designed to undermine the opponent.
Vezzoli is known for his Hollywood spoofs such as a fake cinema trailer for a steamy Caligula remake starring Helen Mirren.