Street art in Venice. Two spaces, two outdoor spots, two artists, the same purpose
G’art [galleria delle arti] in collaboration with ArteMea (London) carry out and bring to Venice a completely innovative art project.
For the Liquid Identity event Venice and London will be connected by an imaginary creative thread.
From June these two artists will present their joint and personal artistic languages to produce social engaged art.
Venice will be a stage of some performative actions where the artists’ contemporary patterns will be involved in the urban fabric like their “personal icons”. They will meet the immutable Venetian landscape pushing pedestrians and inhabitants to question their dearest topics of the city.
While messing about with the city’s creative element – water – both artists enjoy experimenting different materials. They produce new trends and reinterpret their own artistic patterns pushing the audience to question the sense of this whole contemporary evanescence. Venice is the most sumptuous but fragile example.
With its condition and problems, Venice is emblematic of a delicate existence. Its being a “dreamy city” is actually in a very precarious situation. Its artistic and architectural beauties, the lagoon ecosystem and even the universal symbolic value of the city are seriously threatened by the pollution of its water and air. This is caused by the relentless commercialization and by the different phenomena generated by mass tourism.
Street art was born in the USA between the 70s-80s as an expression of “subculture”. It was then exported and celebrated in the most prestigious galleries in the world. Now street art appears to the public with these artists whose personal languages intertwine with the city. For Endless with the release of a new brand called EAU DE LAGUNE.
An interesting artistic expression which uses bright colours and street style ironically and offers a new conscious meaning to the contemporary icons.
Liquid identity | Act one: the “wall” paintings
Thanks to the support of private owners and the architect who is currently responsible of the works, we managed to carry out four “wall paintings” in Cannaregio district. Respecting the ancient venetian buildings, the artists performed on wooden panels. Location: fondamenta dei Ormesini (on the corner of calle Turlona)
Liquid identity | Act two
The main exhibition in the Venetian venue of the Ancient School of Laneri – Santa Croce district
Liquid identity | Act three
The exhibition moves to another district. Endless and Papibulldozer have come back where their first act took place. Now they show in the post-industrial space BVK in Cannaregio, Calle Turlona 2866 (on the corner of fondamenta dei Ormesini).
On the occasion of the opening, a new live painting was performed by Papibulldozer
Liquid identity | Finissage
Be LOCAL – The event gathering art, handicraft and wine tasting
Liquid Identity is about to end. Since this project is rooted in local community too, we have decided to propose a special event in collaboration with some Venetian companies.
Italian Event Better – Tour operator and event planner
Muranero – African fantasy in Murano lampwork glass
Ca’ Eolia – A traditional Venetian “bacaro” with a modern twist
The artists
ENDLESS
Endless is a London-based artist. His provocative and radical creations tell a story of our world that is bold and intense. Starting out using the walls of our nation’s capital as his canvas, Endless’s reputation has risen to capture the attention of its residents, foreign visitors and the media alike.
One of the artist’s most iconic works is the Marky Mark, a tongue-in cheek take on Mark Wahlberg’s Calvin Klein advert from the 90s. In this piece the striking replacement of the original branding by Endless with the fake alternative “Calvin Classics” was requested
by Channel 4 to be used for a viral testicular cancer campaign, called “Feeling Nuts”.
Other artworks include a reinterpretation of Chanel brand, where the famous perfume bottle has been
renamed as “Chapel”. Endless created new images for the boxer David Haye, for the Liberty Store London and in collaboration with world famous Uk art duo, Gilbert and George, for a prestigious
exhibition in Singapore. Furthermore Endless worked with them on a series of new images to be exhibited in his latest solo show.
ALBERTO VIGNAZIA ≠ PAPIBULLDOZER
Papibulldozer is an alter-ego. Or perhaps Alberto Vignazia is Papibulldozer’s alter-ego. Papibulldozer is interactive and photovoltaic. He appears as a drawing, an illustration, a movie, a picture. His work can be built, recycled and installed. Since it is figurative, abstract or simply quoted, it spreads through each media with its own cynicism by expressing contemporary paradoxes. Both of which are individual and collective.
Papibulldozer is a performer. Papibulldozer makes his own history. Alberto Vignazia doesn’t. He’s shy.
He attended D.A.M.S. in Turin. He decided not to graduate as a stance going against the academic system. Alberto finds his way taking a very close look at the fringes of society. He likes moving towards what is apparently hidden which is full of meaning and substance. He likes what is troublesome and unpleasant to observe. The main step in Alberto’s life was the birth of Papibulldozer and his blog on “cinema, art, politics and swear words. not necessarily in this order”. In this place/non-place Alberto can finally express himself. He travelled and exhibited at: Passaggi a Nord-Ovest, Biella; CHIARI & geniali, Brescia; ARTEINGENUA, Milan and Rome; Chair and the Maiden Gallery, New York; Paratissima 11, Turin along with his alter-ego Papibulldozer.
#FEELPEOPLE®
At the LIQUID IDENTITY event it is also present a photographic project designed by Stefano Ceretti.
Stefano is a professional photographer from Piemonte (Biella). Starting out from his passion for art and society he created a virtual place to socialize.
The title already suggests his peculiar inclination to bridge over landscapes, places, settings. In fact even if they are conventional, they acquire a new meaning just when the human subject arises.
He started out by shooting/promoting companies and commercial activities which consider first people (more than profit). Then #FEELPEOPLE® has naturally claimed a new value: perceiving people everywhere, no matter what.
So it came the moment to develop branches like #feelpeoplewall, #feelstreet, #feelportrait, #feelpregnant, #feelwedding, #feeldog and the “city” series as well:
#feelvenice/london/berlin/paris/shanghai/hongkong/newyork…
Stefano is the only photographer who is allowed to follow close on our artists’ heels. He is our sharp eye on the different identities connected to LIQUID IDENTITY. In this way every pedestrian can join #FEELPEOPLE® community which now gets a special “liquid” sense: #feelliquidinvenice
MURANO GLASS FOR LIQUID IDENTITY
At the LIQUID IDENTITY exhibition we will have the pleasure to present a bottle of EAU DE LAGUNE. It will be created especially for this event with Endless brand by the Glass Cathedral’s glassmaker. For this purpose the Glass Cathedral (former Church of Santa Chiara in Murano Island) joins the group of our excellent partners in town. A sharp artistic production which tries to offer a new awareness to the aesthetic expressions whose Venice is the most celebrated and globally recognised. As the glass bottle is put on display in an oblique position, Venice appears to be the most stunning and fragile icon of contemporary worship.
LOCATIONS
Ancient School of Laneri
After a serious fire this building was supposedly rebuilt by Baldassarre Loghena in 1633. Today it still presents an Istrian stone façade and two doors on the ground floor. Each door shows an arch-shaped iron edge and it also keeps the wrought-iron initials of the patron saint. Looking up at the first floor, you can see two double-arched windows on the side of an aedicula devoted to Saint Bernardino. Moreover on the top floor you can admire wonderful ogival windows with cartouche. At the present the interior doesn’t have any furniture but it keeps the original wooden ceiling intact. On the ground floor there is a wide room with three marbled columns. At last we can see the former Capitolo’s room on the first floor where some altars used to be in the past. Luckily we can still see them.
Confraternity of the Laneri (wool guild)
Under the protection of Saint Bernardino, this confraternity had a specific altar in the Church of Saint Pantalon which can still be seen nowadays (thethird one on the right). The confraternity was divided into three branches: those who thrashed the wool, those who combed it with iron combs and those who untangled it with hooked iron combs. They depended on the Camera del Purgo or on the Provveditor de Comun. In 1773 20 shop lads and 200 workers were archived. On the 4th of May, 1786 the Senate suppressed the agreement. After the abolishment and various uses the building became a cinema as well. At the present the Patronato of Tolentini is located here.
A quote from the book: “Scuole grandi e piccole a Venezia tra arte e storia” by S. Gramigna and A. Perissa
Salizada San Pantalon, Santa Croce 131/A – 30100 Venice
BVK SPACE
Inaugura nel 2016 da un’idea dell’imprenditrice cilena Beatriz Valenzuela. L’ex magazzino in Calle Turlona a Cannaregio si trasforma in uno spazio multiculturale per assumere un doppio ruolo, galleria d’arte e spazio dedicato ai servizi (tour in kayak, laboratori, incontri…)
Calle Turlona 2866 (corner Fond.ta Ormesini), Cannaregio 30121 – Venice