Un Ospite di Venezia-11-2023
Around the middle of the century, Francesco Hayez portrays Matilde, a young noblewoman from the Pirovano Visconti di Modrone family: an undoubtedly splendid work by an artist recognized as the main exponent of the Italian Romantic movement. This is the image we have chosen to open this month to introduce one of the most important artistic and cultural events of the year: the reconstruction, a hundred years later, of what turned out to be a true event, an exhibition that brought to light the Venetian art of an entire century, long overshadowed by the mythologizing of the preceding one, the 18th century.
Around the middle of the century, Francesco Hayez portrays Matilde, a young noblewoman from the Pirovano Visconti di Modrone family: an undoubtedly splendid work by an artist recognized as the main exponent of the Italian Romantic movement.
This is the image we have chosen to open this month to introduce one of the most important artistic and cultural events of the year: the reconstruction, a hundred years later, of what turned out to be a true event, an exhibition that brought to light the Venetian art of an entire century, long overshadowed by the mythologizing of the preceding one, the 18th century.
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Charm and attractions of a Venetian November
With the autumn everything appears to slow down, offering a semblance of peace and tranquillity,
which sensations are unfortunately increasingly rare to find nowadays.
Venice seems to immerse itself even more in its natural element, the water it was born from. The
first lagoon mists and the faint evening lights almost make it retreat in time.
It is time to experience the city at its fullest through the emotions it raises, but also through all that
it offers with its museums, its churches, its theatres... its events.
Here then, we follow up with some hints as usual, on an offer leaving no doubts as to quality and appeal.
We are beginning as we frequently do, with La Biennale, the Venetian cultural institution par excellence,
known worldwide for an output promoting contemporary world trends in Arts and Culture for
over a century.
The International Architecture Exhibition
In addition to its undoubted intrinsic value, its final opening month should be pointed out: in fact its
18th edition will ultimately close its doors on 26 November.
Promoted by The Venice Biennale, this maxi-showcase is developed along a vast circuit through its
thematic exhibition, divided between the central pavilion in the Giardini, the huge Arsenal complex
and some venues on the mainland.
The laboratory of the future, the title assigned by its curator Lesley Lokko, is presented as a vision
about the world’s near future and the relationship between mankind and the environment, starting
from the continent which more than any other one is undergoing an epochal change, Africa.
As customary, the exhibition includes national Participations (63 this year), with individual exhibitions
set up within the Pavilions at the Giardini and at the Arsenal, as well as in the historic centre.
They are flanked by a series of collateral exhibitions.
The Art Exhibitions
In this case too, the scenario is extremely vast, and enriched during this month by certain recent
novelties. We have just mentioned the first exhibition, The Nineteenth-century Venetian portrait,
let us check the rest.
For modern art - the Twentieth century’s - the Marcel Duchamp. The lure of the copy exhibition,
proposed by the prestigious Peggy Guggenheim Collection, stands out, presenting around sixty
works created between 1911 and 1968 by the famous conceptual artist, known for the provocations
inherent within his artworks, which shocked the thought of his time.
It is ideally flanked by Marc Chagall, The colour of dreams, promoted by the Venice City Museums
Foundation, open at the Candiani Centre in Mestre: the exhibition features some masterpieces by
the Russian master of dreams and imagination held by the Ca’ Pesaro Gallery, together with a nucleus
of artworks by other well-known Twentieth century painters, always along the artist’s theme.
The Twentieth century is a protagonist yet again, even though with differing views from the former
ones, at the Veneto Institute, with the exhibition dedicated to Italico Brass, presenting a series of
fascinating impressionist vistas of Venice. Moreover, for ancient art lovers, there is the important
exhibition on Titian’s early works at the Galleries of the Accademia (see page 65).
Painting is flanked by photography, with the exhibitions Chronorama from the Condé Nast archives,
recently acquired by the Pinault Foundation, at Palazzo Grassi; The Horizon of Events featuring
300 shots by Paolo Pellegrin, the winner of a good 11 editions of the prestigious World Press Photo
Award, presented by The Rooms of Photography, at San Giorgio, and Rethinking Landscape vs
Identity on emerging European photography at Palazzo Fortuny.
Amongst the main exhibitions, we may also recall Icons, contemporary works from the Pinault Collection
at Punta della Dogana; Everybody Talks about the Weather, presented by the Prada Foundation
at Ca’ Corner della Regina, a novel research project featuring visual arts and the weather;
Bohemian Glass: the great masters, featuring works by six pioneering Bohemian artists in contemporary
sculpture, at the Rooms of Glass on the island of San Giorgio; A World of Potential, with
Arthur Duff’s engaging installation dedicated to the potential of the human being at the Old Procuratie
venues, and finally, on Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s innovative work at Palazzo Franchetti.
12 un Ospite di Venezia
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