Lorenzo Quinn the Barcelona-based sculptor is back in Venice for the Biennale season. This time Quinn has fashioned a series of life-size, mesh figures identified as the ‘Anime di Venezia’ which translate as ‘The Souls of Venice’. These are to be found gracing the water-gate entrance of Ca’Rezzonico, an elegant palace on the Grand Canal, which is Venice’s Museum of 18th century art (a bit like Venice’s answer to the V & A in London).

This is the third time that Quinn has exhibited a monumental work in Venice at the time of the Biennale. The first was in 2017, when he created ‘Support’ a ghostly set of two gleaming white hands, apparently holding up the wall of a Venetian Palace. The sculpture was an internet sensation, brilliantly located on the Grand Canal just between the Rialto Bridge and Piazzale Roma. This meant that every visitor to Venice boarding a vaporetto at the station or the car park, saw the sculpture and took a photo of it. They say that it was the most photographed exhibit in Venice in 2017. Certainly ‘Support’ was a huge talking point, partly because of its visibility, right on the Grand Canal and also because of its status outside ‘The Biennale’ framework. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly it was a huge success because of its message. ‘Support’ refers to the delicate relationship between Venice and the sea, a balance that endangers and protects Venice in equal and opposite measure. The sculpture was also very timely, just about 18 months later Venice was hit by the acqua alta of November 2019 when the flooding in Venice and the damage to property, piers, palaces and private homes was truly shocking.

_{Support by Lorenzo Quinn at Ca’ Sagredo – 2017 – photo: www.greyhoundtrainers.com}

Then in 2019 Quinn was back in Venice with ‘Building Bridges’ a succession of clasped hands joined together like the steeple of a church. Whenever Lorenzo Quinn is in Venice his work always attracts controversy, in 2017 it was the debate about ‘Support’ being part of, or external to, the Biennale Event of that year. Then in 2019 the discussion was the location of ‘Building Bridges’. Quinn wanted his new exhibit to grace the entrance to Venice’s Arsenale, a beautiful waterway leading from St Mark’s Basin to the elegant threshold of Venice’s historic boat-building yards. However the city elders objected. Instead the strikingly beautiful sculpture was relegated to a dry dock location beyond San Pietro di Castello – a part of Venice that is rarely visited by tourists. Instead of the main entrance to Arsenale, Quinn’s sculpture was located round the back at the tradesmen’s entrance! However, it’s still there, nearly five years later and visitors can glimpse it in the distance as they head across the lagoon to the airport, or from one of the vaporetto services that includes Castello and Ospedale.

_{Building Bridges by Lorenze Quinn – 2019 – www.greyhoundtrainers.com}

So now for the third act of Lorenzo Quinn in Venice, we’ve got ‘Le Anime di Venezia’ the souls of Venice. A series of metallic, mesh structures each depicting an individual who was significant in the history of Venice, starting with Marco Polo and taking us through to Carlo Goldoni. The ‘anime’ souls in the show are: Marco Polo (whose 700th anniversary is this year), Lorenzo Tiepolo (artist), Caterina Corner (former Queen of Cyprus), Elena Lucrezia Corner Piscopia (the first female graduate in Italy), Carlo Goldoni (playwright), Antonio Vivaldi (musician), Marietta Barovier (glass sculptor and artist), Elisabetta Caminer Turra (writer and translator), Andrea Palladio (architect), Antonio Canova (sculptor), Tiziano Vecellio (artist), Rosalba Carriera (artist), Giacomo Casanova (socialiser, gambler and all-round party animal) and finally Marco Polo “universale” – an everyman symbol in the style of a gondolier representing Venice’s unique position in our world and the need for us all to honour and protect our precious environment.

Each of the lifesize mesh characters have a QR Code which enables the visitor to view their story as they stroll through the museum gallery.  There’s also an ‘augmented reality’ dynamic to this installation. I haven’t visited the exhibition yet, so I’ll report back when I do. Meanwhile here’s a photo of the Ca’ Rezzonico entrance hall bedecked with shimmering metallic sculptures waiting to share their stories with visitors. The exhibition is curated by Alberto Toso Fei an eminent and respected Venetian historian and story-teller.

_{Ca’Rezzonico, Venezia – photo: courtesy of Venice Today}

Lorenzo Quinn is the son of Hollywood legend Anthony Quinn. He’s a prolific artist and sculptor. He’s also a vocal environmentalist and pacifist. His work tends to focus on unity, respect and consideration, not only for our fellow humans but also (and equally importantly) on our precious and fragile environment.

Notes:

I’ve written various articles on Lorenzo Quinn as follows:

• Lorenzo Quinn in Venice – written in 2019
• Lorenzo Quinn, sculptor – written in 2019
• Venice – Lorenzo Quinn, Damien Hirst and Modern Art – written in 2017

_{Quinn’s work in Marghera, Venezia (2018) and earlier in London – photos: Halcyon Gallery}

Further reading:

• Lorenzo Quinn is represented by The Halcyon Gallery, London – The Halcyon Gallery
• For more on the Building Bridges Sculpture: Building Bridges – Halcyon Gallery

• For some background on ‘Le Anime di Venezia’ Lorenzo Quinn’s latest work in Venice, here’s an article from ‘artsupp.com’ in Italian about this year’s event: From artsupp.com – Lorenzo Quinn Le Anime di Venezia at Ca’Rezzonico
• The ‘anime’ souls in the show are: Marco Polo (whose 700th anniversary is this year), Lorenzo Tiepolo (artist), Caterina Corner (former Queen of Cyprus), Elena Lucrezia Corner Piscopia (the first female graduate in Italy), Carlo Goldoni (playwright), Antonio Vivaldi (musician), Marietta Barovier (glass sculptor and artist), Elisabetta Caminer Turra (writer and translator), Andrea Palladio (architect), Antonio Canova (sculptor), Tiziano Vecellio (artist), Rosalba Carriera (artist), Giacomo Casanova (socialiser, gambler and all-round party animal) and finally Marco Polo “universale” – an everyman symbol in the style of a gondolier representing Venice’s unique position in our world and the need for us all to honour and protect our precious environment.

• The Biennale is on in Venice from now until 20th November, 2024
• Ca’Rezzonico is a fascinating museum and well worth a visit.
• The floods of November 2019 were dramatic – this is what it was like: Acqua Alta – Venice

May 2024