I am pleased to announce my solo show 'Postcards from Venice in a suitcase full of places’ marking the end of my residency at Cultural Association Venezia Contemporanea, in Cannaregio, Venice.
The work explores the tension between Venice’s commodified identity as a tourist hotspot and the city’s fragile architectural and cultural legacy. Using traditional press prints from local artisans alongside cut-outs of postcards, wrapping paper, scotch tape and acrylic interventions, the artist constructs collages that resemble architectural models rather than paintings. These pieces reflect the hyper-consumption of Venice, like other iconic cities such as Paris or Lisbon, where city centres are increasingly prone to be stripped of their character and sense of place.
Incorporating large-scale photographs of Venice, painted into abstraction to evoke both anonymity and permanence, the artist captures everyday people and overlooked urban spaces, elevating them in monumental banners reminiscent of the flags adorning Venetian palaces. The use of images of empty streets during the Covid pandemic offers a rare glimpse of local life reclaiming the city, in stark contrast to the typical tourist-filled scenes. This juxtaposition reflects on the erosion of a city’s identity, where short-term rentals push residents to the margins, raising concerns about the loss of community and escalating costs of living.
Drawing on her experience as a Brazilian woman living in Europe for almost two decades, the artist reflects on her family’s stories of migration from Italy to Brazil and now her own story back in Italy, connecting the issue of Venice’s altered demographics to global historical movements of people searching for a better life. Migration, often generated by the search for better opportunities to study and work - but also forced by war, poverty, persecution, and structural inequalities - echoes the global imbalance that drives people to leave their countries. By addressing these issues, the artist situates Venice within a wider narrative of transformation and loss, highlighting how these forces reshape cities and cultures in the context of ongoing global crises.
The solo show 'Postcards from Venice in a suitcase full of places will take place at Venezia Contemporanea Association, Venice • Opening times: 23/10 6-9pm / 24/10 9-1pm Free entry
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