Souls of Venice – Alberto Toso Fei
Ca’ Rezzonico & Palazzo Ducale
20 April – 29 September 2024

“Anime di Venezia – Souls of Venice” is the new creation of Italian-American artist Lorenzo Quinn, which will be on display in Venice from 20th April to 15th September 2024, commemorating the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death and coinciding with the 60th Art Biennale. Comprised of 15 statues made of a metallic mesh weave of thousands of links, the installation presents some of the most significant ‘Souls’ that have lived over the centuries of the Venetian Republic, traditionally known as La Serenissima, sealing the union and symbiosis between the city and all its artistic expressions that have seen these Venetians as the protagonists that have helped make the city immortal.

The fascinating installation is located in the Atrium of Ca’ Rezzonico, the splendid and imposing building overlooking the Grand Canal and designed by Baldassare Longhena, home to the Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice. It is a refreshing and iconic project that indelibly marks the bond of love between Venice and Lorenzo Quinn. “Anime de Venezia – Souls of Venice” is indeed an absolute novelty in Quinn’s production: for the first time, a work with a historical background, designed specifically for the museum, “comes to life” thanks to the introduction of a contemporary tool: augmented reality, expressed through a poetic and magical vision.

Creating the effect of a gallery of statues, one additional facet of Lorenzo Quinn’s installation is that the 15 “Souls” can speak. In fact, by scanning the QR code next to each statue with one’s smartphone, visitors have the opportunity to download an application through which each metallic figure when captured on screen “transforms” into an augmented reality image of each character (represented in the clothing of their historical period) who “speaks” uttering phrases that refer to themselves and their special relationship with Venice. In practice, thanks to the smartphone and the dedicated application, the metallic mesh statues virtually come to life, demonstrating how many and what “Souls” populate the rich history of the Serenissima.

In addition to the statue of Marco Polo already present at the Doge’s Palace, visitors in Ca’Rezzonico will be able to admire the metallic mesh statues depicting Lorenzo Tiepolo, Caterina Corner, Veronica Franco, Elena Lucrezia Corner Piscopia, Carlo Goldoni, Antonio Vivaldi, Marietta Barovier, Elisabetta Caminer Turra, Andrea Palladio, Antonio Canova, Tiziano Vecellio, Rosalba Carriera, Giacomo Casanova and the ‘universal’ Marco Polo, which is symbolically represented by the figure of the Gondolier. The installation invites everyone to take action and ‘save Venice and the whole world‘.

more. www.soulsofvenice.com