Now that the mundanities of the first few weeks have calmed down, it is high time to fly to the Serenissima. As it does every two years, the Venice Biennale offers the opportunity (and the excuse) to (re)discover the magic of this timeless lagoon, of the vaporettos on the canals, of the exquisite osterie and trattorie, of the rich and sumptuous palaces, but above all of the numerous pavilions, the jewels of an unmissable meeting place for international contemporary art.
Marlene Dumas at the Palazzo Grassi
Born in 1953 in Cape Town, South Africa, Marlene Dumas is considered one of the most influential artists on the contemporary art scene. This monographic exhibition, spread over two floors of Palazzo Grassi, brings together more than 100 works and offers a tour of her entire pictorial output.
"Open-end" includes some new works produced in recent years, some masterpieces belonging to the Pinault Collection, and exceptional loans from international museums and private collections. This retrospective impresses with the artist's singularity, with his talent for capturing simple moments of life, moments of eroticism, and powerful and emotional colours.
Claire Tabouret at Almine Rech
"I am spacious, singing flesh" is the title of the exhibition dedicated to Claire Tabouret at Palazzo Cavanis. Through twenty-five paintings, sculptures, videos and works on paper by the French artist, the visitor discovers a profound work on the theme of duplication, subjectivity, the relationship and impact between humans and the world around them.
Simone Leigh represented in the exhibition « The Milk of Dreams », at the Arsenal and the American Pavilion.
Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, Simone Leigh is the first black woman to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale. Taking over the US pavilion, she stands out with a monumental sculptural project honouring African-American women workers and their plight in a society inherited from slavery. Powerful, spectacular and unique.
Anselm Kiefer at the Palazzo Ducale
Another highlight is the Sala della Scrutinio in the Doge's Palace, one of the most prestigious rooms in Venice, which is completely occupied by 33 of Anselm Kiefer's immense canvases. The German painter confronts his own compositions with the frescoes of the 16th-century masters, in an installation that is bound to surprise. Kiefer is thus one of the great names of this 2022 exhibition.
Anish Kapoor at the Gallerie dell’Accademia
The exhibition, which includes some 60 works, features retrospective elements alongside more recent works, presenting key moments in the artist's career. Groundbreaking new works created with nanotechnology are presented for the first time, as well as recent paintings and sculptures that demonstrate the vitality and visionary nature of Kapoor's current practice.
Throughout the exhibition, Kapoor's works absorb and expand the space within and around them, transforming the rooms of the Gallerie dell'Accademia into magical and strange sites, going far beyond the mere presentation of objects.
