Six Spectacular Art Interventions During the 60th Venice Biennale
Historic spaces transformed through contemporary art and design
With the 60th Venice Biennale now underway, the entire city has awoken with thought-provoking installations and spectacular art interventions in historic, often unexpected locations. In activations throughout Venice, not only does the art speak but a dialogue has arisen between works and the walls within (or upon) which they’re presented. The following six artistic immersions captured our attention during their debut weekend—and some will remain open to the public for months to come.
Frank Auerbach: Starting Again
Within Palazzo da Mosto, a magnificent private residence not far from the Rialto Bridge (and built by the same architect), gallerist and The Ranch founder Max Levai presents “Frank Auerbach: Starting Again,” an exhibition of staggering beauty that highlights 11 rarely seen works by the acclaimed German-British painter. It’s the first Venetian exhibition dedicated to Auerbach since he won the Golden Lion at the1986 Venice Biennale—and majesty is derived from the artist’s colorful, layered pieces and the way they contrast the historic home’s frescoes and plasterwork. “Starting Again,” open via appointment, will run through 28 June.
Zeng Fanzhi’s “Near and Far/Now and Then”
Presented by LACMA inside the monumental Scuola Grande della Misericordia, Beijing-based artist Zeng Fanzhi’s new large-scale works are set upon a dynamic pop-up gallery designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando for the exhibit “Near and Far/Now and Then.” The enthralling exhibition—which features both oil paintings and works on paper—will run through 30 September.
Object & Thing: F Taylor Colantonio’s “Frutti di Mare”
Rome-based American artist F Taylor Colantonio‘s “Frutti di Mare” exhibition—presented by a COOL HUNTING favorite design organization, Object & Thing, founded by Abby Bangser and known for opening in extraordinary spaces—sets eye-catching sculptural works within an old Venetian mirror workshop. For this first solo exhibition from Colantonio, some pieces employ patinated bronze, others embed swirls of colorful glass—and some are crafted from polished cartapesta, which visually nods to marble and terrazzo (and feels similar to the touch) but is actually produced from paper. “Frutti di Mare” will run through 23 June.
James Lee Byars and Seung-taek Lee’s “Invisible Questions That Fill The Air”
Together, the works of Korean interdisciplinary artist Seung-taek Lee and late American conceptual artist James Lee Byars transform the historic libraries of Palazzo Loredan—home to Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Venice—into a poetic discussion on wood, stone, rope, earthenware and gold. The sculptural pieces in this collaborative exhibition, entitled “Invisible Questions That Fill The Air,” often subvert reality with exclamations of surprise and delight. The perfect marriage of artists, artwork and platform, it will run through 25 August.
Rick Lowe: The Arch within the Arc
The first Italian solo show of Houston-based artist Rick Lowe, “The Arch within the Arc” pairs new large-scale paintings within the unexpected Tuscan-Roman Renaissance architecture of Museo de Palazzo Grimani. The vibrant, mesmeric showcase centers works by Lowe that explore color and geometry through acrylic paint and paper collage on canvas. Presented in collaboration with Gagosian, the exhibit runs through 24 November.
Miles Greenberg’s “Sebastian”
A profound durational performance piece by Miles Greenberg, “Sebastian” involved the artist balancing atop a small boulder—itself on a mirrored pedestal, between electronic arms—for eight hours, while pierced with custom silver arrows. A depiction of the death of Saint Sebastian intercut with a probing discourse on the Venetian blackamoor motif, Greenberg’s work kept attendees rapt within the walls of Palazzo Malipiero. The ephemeral artwork was curated by Klaus Biesenbach and Lisa Botti, as an addition to their “Elective Affinities” exhibition—which convenes contemporary works from Museum Berggruen-Neue Nationalalgalerie and historic pieces from Gallerie dell’Accademia.
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