Coinciding with the 60th edition of La Biennale di Venezia, Belgian contemporary artist Arne Quinze presents ‘Are We The Aliens_’ an immersive exhibition fusing Quinze’s large-scale site-specific sculptures, which will be on view at San Francesco della Vigna until November 24, 2024.
The ‘Are We The Aliens_’ exhibition will be the first contemporary exhibition in the historic 16th-century church, San Francesco della Vigna, which was completed by the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in Campo San Francesco, Castello, Venice. It also marks Quinze’s first-ever large-scale sculptures in glass and ceramic, which were made in collaboration with master craftsmen Berengo Studio and Atelier Vierkant.
There will be various installations spread across the church, and Quinze’s ‘Impact Glass_’ will inhabit the entrance of the monk’s study, where diverse organic-looking formations emerge from an all-white space, carrying fifteen individual glass sculptures.
The pieces were handcrafted in collaboration with internationally renowned glass manufacturer Berengo Studio in Murano, Italy. They range in height from 40 to 120 centimetres (15 – 47 inches) and are coated with hues of red, yellow and green, emanating nature’s many vibrant shades.
Following two decades of presentations in renowned museums and institutions such as Frieze Sculpture and Saatchi Gallery, London; Kunsthal Rotterdam; MAMAC Museum, Nice; the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art; Art D’Egypte, ‘Are We The Aliens_’ will usher in a new chapter in Quinze’s artistic practice.
Over the last twenty years, his observations of urbanisation’s detrimental effects on human life have fostered his artistic commitment to convert urban spaces into open-air museums with monumental artworks that reawaken our sense of awe and respect for nature.
In parallel with the theme of the Biennale di Venezia 2024, ‘Foreigners Everywhere’, ‘Are We The Aliens_’ is an opportunity for people to contemplate our growing alienation from our natural habitats by offering unconventional perspectives of self-perception, encouraging the forging of new bonds with our external environment.
‘Are We The Aliens_’ Information
Location
Scuola di San Pasquale
Campo San Francesco 2780, 30122 Venice, Italy
(12 minutes from Piazza San Marco)
Opening Times
Tuesday – Sunday: 11 am – 7 pm
Closed on Mondays
Arne Quinze Biography
Arne Quinze is a Belgian contemporary artist, painter, and sculptor. Building on his artistic journey from street art to paintings and public installations, Quinze explores the intricate relationship of human interaction and urban complexity in correlation with the delicate harmony inherent in the natural world.
From oil paintings to large-scale public installations, Quinze reawakens an instinctive sense of awe and appreciation for nature, showcasing its diversity and the beauty of evolution. Placing the splendour of nature at the core of his work, Quinze’s large-scale works confront us with the grandness of its power, bringing to the surface a powerful dialogue of resilience and fragility.
Blurring the lines between culture and the natural world, Quinze creates immersive artistry of a delicate but vibrant world, capturing the very essence of life.
Since 2005, he has unveiled public sculptures in Europe (including London, Amsterdam and Paris), Asia (such as Shanghai, Mumbai and Beirut) North America (including New York, Chicago and Washington D.C.) and South America (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro), and exhibited at the Burning Man Festival, Frieze Sculpture, London, Kunsthal Rotterdam, MAMAC Museum, Nice, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Art D’Egypte, among others.
Photography by Dave Bruel for Arne Quinze.
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