elc team
By visual artist and professional spectator, Georgia Kotretsos
Pinault Collection
A. Palazzo Grassi
At Palazzo Grassi, the Pinault Collection presents an exciting display of works by Julie Mehretu alongside Nairy Baghramian, Huma Bhabha, Robin Coste Lewis, Tacita Dean, David Hammons, Paul Pfeiffer, and Jessica Rankin. On the second floor, you will find a refreshing collaboration between Mehretu and Baghramian, the latter of whom never ceases to surprise. Mehretu’s work occupies the floor space with an insightful and highly sculptural intervention by Baghramian where the viewer’s perspective can puzzle the works together.
This reminds me of a similar stunning display of two-dimensional works by Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian in “The Infinite White Abyss” at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in 2014, part of the Quadriennale Düsseldorf. That exhibition, a whimsical curation by Dr. Marion Ackermann with exhibition design by Thomas Stadler, remains one of my top three exhibitions ever seen. It’s no accident that this exhibition at Palazzo Grassi has been realized in cooperation with K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, scheduled to be presented in Düsseldorf later in 2025. This is a quintessential learning experience for those intrigued by artist collaborations and innovative displays. On show until January 6, 2025.
B. Punta della Dogana
From March 17 to November 24, 2024, Punta della Dogana presents “LIMINAL” by Pierre Huyghe, curated by Anne Stenne. This exhibition offers a breathtaking interplay of inquiries into today’s world, exploring the modalities of the human and non-human. What initially seems imperceptible and uncanny slowly becomes familiar. The subdued lighting slows the frantic pace of the average viewer, allowing for discovery through a meticulously crafted choreography. The artist’s intellect is on full display, creating a poetic understanding of time that tingles the spectator’s temporal lobe. This space and its works will resonate with anyone who immerses themselves in this otherworldly terrain.
Fondazione Prada
A three-card monte-like encounter awaits at Fondazione Prada. At first, you may wonder, “Where is it? What is this?” You’ll be met with a grandiose, monumental unveiling of history at the 18th-century palazzo Ca’ Corner della Regina. Christoph Büchel’s “Monte di Pietà” is a jaw-dropping show that delves into the history of the Monte di Pietà of Venice from 1834 to 1969, now the permanent venue of Fondazione Prada since 2011.
In 15th-century Italy, the Catholic institutions known as Monte di Pietà provided the poor with access to loans at reasonable interest rates. They used charitable donations as capital to lend money to low-income individuals. Borrowers offered valuables as collateral, positioning Monte di Pietà somewhere between a pawnshop and a bank. This exhibition offers an in-depth exploration of history, debt, virtual money, and the origins of modern finance while stripping Venice of its picturesque façade. This highly engaging, site-specific installation is a masterful study of eloquently staged history and a fictional future. Not to be missed, on show until November 24, 2024.
Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti
Time to meditate with “Your Ghosts Are Mine” at Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, curated by Matthieu Orlean. This exhibition is produced by Qatar Museums, supported by Media City Qatar, and co-organized by the Doha Film Institute, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the future Art Mill Museum in Doha, in collaboration with ACP Art Capital Partners. It takes a consortium of institutions to create something so flawless. A cinematic journey featuring 126 screenings runs until November 23, 2024. This hypnotic celluloid journey is primarily situated in the Middle East and North Africa, offering a visual palette and narrative that is a rare sight. Make time to indulge in this humble darkened room that allows you to see beyond your known world.
Wadi AlFann
Wadi AlFann presents “Journeys in Land Art, Towards Wadi AlFann, AlUla” featuring the first five artists commissioned for Wadi AlFann (The Valley of Arts), located 1,100 km northwest of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. AlUla is renowned for its extraordinary natural beauty and rich human history. Spanning 22,561 square kilometers, the area includes a verdant oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains, and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to the eras of the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms.
Those who love the desert and art will encounter a mystical landscape where sophisticated creative gestures by Manal AlDowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater, and James Turrell will literally take your breath away. The process and documentation on display reduce any creative museum or gallery ambitions of artists to a molecule, making the art world disappear and revealing the mesmerizing beauty of nature. On show until April 30, 2024.
Fondazione Querini Stampalia
One year after Illya Kabakov’s passing, Fondazione Querini Stampalia is commemorating this master of conceptual art with the exhibition “Between Heaven and Earth”. Curated by Chiara Bertola, the exhibition honors Kabakov’s genius, highlighting his experimentation with poetry and the expressive potential of materials. Celebrated as the most important twentieth-century artist born in the USSR who became a naturalized US citizen, Kabakov’s legacy continues to inspire.
Each installation in the exhibition is a carefully choreographed mise-en-scène of objects, texts, lights, and sounds, immersing the viewer in the work of art. This approach aligns with the concept of the “total installation” that has been central to Illya and Emilia Kabakov’s work since the early 1980s. The exhibition will be on display until July 14th, 2024.
Gallerie dell’Accademia
Curators Gary Garrels and Mario Codognato present an exhibition at Gallerie dell’Accademia showcasing 75 works by Willem de Kooning. The exhibition features a selection of the large and striking “Black and White Rome” drawings that de Kooning created during his first extended visit to Rome in 1959. These will be displayed alongside works from the late 1950s, created in the years leading up to de Kooning’s first visit to Italy.
The exhibition also includes large figurative paintings from the mid-1960s that paved the way for his interest in sculpture. Among the highlights are thirteen small bronzes that de Kooning made in Rome, which resulted from a chance encounter with a sculptor friend. These bronzes mark the artist’s first experiments with clay and led to a substantial body of sculpture created back in New York from 1972 to 1974. The sculptures are making a significant impact at Gallerie dell’Accademia. On show until September 9, 2024.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
“Jean Cocteau: The Juggler’s Revenge” organized by Kenneth E. Silver at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, presents the largest retrospective ever organized in Italy of the enfant terrible of the twentieth-century French art scene. The exhibition highlights Cocteau’s versatility and the multiple juggling acts that distinguished his production, which often drew criticism from his contemporaries.
The exhibition includes drawings, graphics, jewelry, tapestries, historical documents, books, magazines, photographs, documentaries, and films directed by Cocteau, tracing the development of his unique and highly personal aesthetics alongside the highlights of his tumultuous career. The humor, wisdom, libertine personality, and body of work on display tell the story of a lifelong investment in his craft. This is an inspiring display of an era that is far gone and lost.
European Cultural Centre’s Palazzo Mora
On a more modest scale “Wallpaper for Many”, an exhibition from Rice University, offers a glimpse into the innovative and collaborative work of students and faculty. The exhibition features Risograph and letterpress prints, captivating audiences at the European Cultural Centre’s Palazzo Mora since its opening on April 20.
Under the leadership of Christopher Sperandio, associate professor of art, the exhibition brings together the creative process of students from Rice University and The Ohio State University (OSU). Sperandio, known for his explorations at the intersection of mass and museum cultures, spearheaded this initiative to spotlight the artistic endeavors emerging from his Comic Art Teaching and Study (CATS) Workshop at Rice.
Farewell and Looking Forward to 2026
As we bid farewell to the current chapter, our anticipation for 2026 is palpable. This year has been a journey of artistic discoveries, groundbreaking exhibitions, and unforgettable moments in the world of art.
Each exhibition has left an indelible mark, not just in the art community but in the hearts of all who experienced them. From the striking installations, sculptures and drawings to the thought-provoking retrospectives and collaborative student works, 2024 has been a testament to the enduring power of creativity and expression.
As we close this chapter, we look ahead with excitement to the promises of 2026. The future holds new exhibitions, fresh perspectives, and continued inspiration. We eagerly anticipate the next wave of artistic endeavors that will challenge, delight, and inspire us.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. Until we meet again, may the art we cherish continue to enrich our lives and communities.
See You in 2026
Here’s to a new year of art, culture, and boundless creativity. Looking forward to 2026 and all the wonders it will bring.
